GREEN POWER for BETTER LIFE
At Green Ace, we aim to solve the problem of wasted agricultural products with the vision of "enriching lives through the power of agricultural products."
Do you know how many vegetables are thrown away?
According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan's vegetable harvest is approximately 13 million tons each year, but the amount shipped is approximately 11 million tons. This difference of 2 million tons is the amount of vegetables that have been harvested but have not been shipped. Even considering farmers' own consumption, a considerable amount is discarded due to substandard products or price adjustments.
These vegetables are crushed in the field without being harvested. There is probably no one who does not feel heartbroken when they see this scene. When unharvested vegetables are included, the annual amount of vegetable waste is said to reach 4 to 5 million tons.
"too good to waste!!"
When I learned about this waste disposal issue, I felt strongly about it.
If we could make effective use of these vegetables instead of throwing them away, farmers' incomes would increase and we consumers would be healthier.
I started thinking more seriously about this issue when I was a graduate student.
In the nine years between graduating high school in Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture in 2011 and completing graduate school in 2020, my alma mater (kindergarten, elementary school, and junior high school) disappeared due to consolidation. Every time I go back to my hometown, something is missing. I returned to my hometown because the school was closed. At that time, I felt loneliness and a sense of crisis that I had never felt when I was in my hometown.
Can we do something for the local community?
With that in mind, I turned my attention to agriculture.
It may be difficult to create new industries locally. Still, I want to transform the current agricultural asset into something better. I believe that if incomes from agriculture, our main industry, increase and the number of people working in agriculture increases, the local area will improve, even if just a little. I'm sure this is an issue that can be seen not only in Yamagata Prefecture, but throughout the country.
It can't be helped that substandard vegetables are thrown away, and supply decreases to match demand. It is very sad that local agriculture, and Japan's agriculture, is declining like this. No matter what, I want to add value to the agricultural products that are being discarded. With this in mind, I focused on powder. From 2015 to the present, we have continued research into turning agricultural products into powder. There were many times when I was worried that the research would not go well or that the powder would not be accepted by society. However, with the support of many people, we were able to improve our technology to a level where we were able to launch a product.
It's been a long time since I wrote this, but with these thoughts in mind, we created Vegemin.
Vegemin is a new form of easy-to-eat vegetables.
You can consume vegetables by mixing it with food or drinks.
By eating a little more vegetables, you can not only make your body a little healthier, but also revitalize Japan's agriculture.
Let's work together to realize a diet that incorporates vegetables in order to enrich producers, consumers, and society.
Green Ace Co., Ltd.
Shinnosuke Nakamura
