New Eco-Friendly Farming Ideas Put Waste Matter to Use
Due to population growth and other factors, food waste has become a big problem around the world. In Japan, factories, grocery stores, and restaurants make efforts to use resources as efficiently as possible, but some amount of food waste is inevitable. Now, Japanese researchers and businesses are working together, finding creative new ways to turn food waste into an invaluable resource.
In Japan, there is a deep-rooted ethos of making the most of food and resources that is encapsulated in the phrase “mottainai,” sometimes translated as “What a waste!” Though Japanese people use “mottainai” frequently in their daily lives, behind it lies a profound glimpse into Japanese culture. In Japan, spirits are believed to reside throughout nature, and so it is important to be grateful for nature’s bounties of rice and vegetables. As a group-oriented society, showing respect for the hard work of others is also important, and Japanese children are taught to consider the people whose work went into the food on their table. Perhaps it is thanks to this mottainai spirit that Japan has long made efficient use of food waste in agriculture. In fact, an impressive 70% of all food waste in Japan gets recycled in some way, with 50% of food waste going towards animal feed.
In turning food waste into feed, high quality must be maintained in order to ensure the resulting product is safe and nutritious for the animals. First, any unwanted foreign matter needs to be carefully removed. The remaining mixture is then crushed and sterilized with heat. Finally, lactic acid bacteria are added to ferment and help preserve the feed, which is particularly important for wet feeds.
This food waste will be checked for unwanted foreign matter, then crushed, sterilized, and preserved with lactic acid bacteria, resulting in a safe and nutritious feed for farm animals. (Photo courtesy of JAPAN FOOD ECOLOGY CENTER, INC.)
By making the most of materials that would otherwise be disposed of, the amount of greenhouse gases produced by incinerating waste is reduced, as well as the burden to the environment caused by growing or importing ingredients. Now, new and innovative ways to put food waste to use in agriculture are being discovered all over Japan. Let’s learn about some of the ways waste matter is being used to make farming more eco-friendly in Japan.
Kids in Japan are taught mottainai values at the dinner table.
Eco-Friendly Eggs
In Ehime Prefecture, a poultry farm has gained national attention for its delicious and sustainably produced eggs. The farm works with nearby food factories to turn their leftover food waste, such as soybean pulp, breadcrumbs, and rice bran, into a nutritious feed for their chickens. This special recipe helps to raise healthier chickens, which results in more delicious eggs. The farm operates their own store and restaurant where you can enjoy eco-friendly meals made from their eggs and other locally sourced ingredients. You can even have eggs for dessert, with delicious handmade sweets like egg pudding.
Left: In the farm’s restaurant, you can enjoy a delicious meal made using their eggs, like this omelet set with egg over locally grown rice. (Photo courtesy of Kumanoyoukei Co., Ltd.)
Right: You can even enjoy the farm’s eggs for dessert, like with these handmade egg puddings. (Photo courtesy of Kumanoyoukei Co., Ltd.)
Top: In the farm’s restaurant, you can enjoy a delicious meal made using their eggs, like this omelet set with egg over locally grown rice. (Photo courtesy of Kumanoyoukei Co., Ltd.)
Bottom: You can even enjoy the farm’s eggs for dessert, like with these handmade egg puddings. (Photo courtesy of Kumanoyoukei Co., Ltd.)
A New Kind of Japanese Beef
Japanese Wagyu beef is known around the world as some of the most high-quality and delicious beef on the market. Now, in Wakayama Prefecture, a new variety of Wagyu has been created. This beef comes from cattle that are raised on feed made from the leftover byproduct of local food industries. Wakayama prefecture is a big producer of mandarin oranges, plums, and soy sauce, so the byproducts from those industries go into the feed. This unique blend results in a vitamin-rich feed that leads to healthy cattle and delicious meat. Incidentally, the manure produced by the cattle goes on to be used as fertilizer in the nearby plum and mandarin orange fields, creating a loop of sustainable farming.
Mandarin oranges like these are one of the main agricultural products of Wakayama prefecture.
The resulting beef is not only better for the environment, but it also has a unique flavor and texture that many people find appealing. Compared to traditional Wagyu, this Wagyu has less fat, and the fat has a lower melting point, making it seem to melt in your mouth. It is recommended for people who find typical beef to be too fattening or filling.
The resulting beef has less fat than other Wagyu, and the fat has a lower melting point, making it seem to melt in your mouth. (Photo courtesy of Kishu Wakaushi Council)
Kamakura’s Latest Specialty
In Kamakura, a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, a new local delicacy has emerged in recent years. It all started when a local food researcher noticed the large volume of seaweed that washes up on the shores of this coastal city. Up until then it had been disposed of as garbage, but she thought there might be a better use for it. She thought it could be used to make a feed for pigs that would result in an eco-friendly pork with a new kind of flavor. She teamed up with a pig farm in the nearby city of Atsugi and together they tested her theory. The experiment was a success; the nutrient-rich seaweed resulted in a pork that contains more oleic acid, creating a delicious, mellow flavor.
Now, the project has taken off and become a large-scale initiative that benefits the community in more ways than anyone could have predicted. The seaweed collection work provides an opportunity for people with disabilities to earn money, and they also pick up litter as they collect the seaweed. The next step of the process is to clean, dry, and crush the seaweed by hand, a step which also provides opportunities for people with disabilities as well as the elderly to earn money.
Seaweed collection drives provide opportunities for people with disabilities to earn money, and they help keep the beach clean for everyone.
The seaweed is dried and crushed by hand before going into the animal feed. This step also helps provide money-earning opportunities for people with disabilities, as well as the elderly. (Photo courtesy of Rainbow Children Laboratory)
The pork is mainly eaten locally, being served in local restaurants as well as in school lunches in the city’s elementary and junior high schools. It is a testament to how one person’s ingenuity can not only help the environment, but also bring a community together.
Left: These pigs are raised on a feed that combines Kamakura seaweed with unused resources from food factories, such as wafers and dried pasta crumbs. (Photo courtesy of Usui Nosan)
Right: The resulting pork is more savory and sweet thanks to the mineral-rich seaweed. (Photo courtesy of Fukiko Yano)
Top: These pigs are raised on a feed that combines Kamakura seaweed with unused resources from food factories, such as wafers and dried pasta crumbs. (Photo courtesy of Usui Nosan)
Bottom: The resulting pork is more savory and sweet thanks to the mineral-rich seaweed. (Photo courtesy of Fukiko Yano)
The resulting pork is used in school lunches in elementary and junior high schools in Kamakura. (Photo courtesy of Fukiko Yano)
Today, the world of agriculture continues to face many challenges in terms of environmental sustainability. But by thinking creatively and exploring innovative solutions, Japanese farmers, researchers, and businesses are helping improve their local communities and the world.