Initiatives to Resolve Local Issues
All over the country, regional Japanese communities are facing a variety of challenges, such as shrinking workforces and aging populations. At the 30th JA National Convention, a resolution was passed to contribute to the revitalization of local communities through comprehensive projects that use JA facilities and locations as points of contact for local members, the development of various collaborative initiatives such as JA lifestyle activities and educational and cultural activities, and collaborations with government bodies, and companies and organizations that are tackling local issues. The stated aim of this campaign is “to revitalize local communities and shape a regionally inclusive society through activities and initiatives.”
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Leveraging the JA Network to Connect Diverse Stakeholder and Create New Value for the Community
-New Branch Initiatives: Creating Places for Multiple Generations to Gather-
Areas under the jurisdiction of JA Miyagi Tome (“JA Miyagi”) are facing a declining and aging population, leading to challenges in increasing the healthy life expectancy of the elderly and deepening ties in local communities. JA Miyagi took advantage of the financial function consolidation in April 2023, repurposing old finance branches into Yorisoi Branches for locals to gather. JA Miyagi collaborates with women's and youth clubs and other local stakeholders to create communities in which members and users can thrive.
Specifically, JA Miyagi is collaborating with members of the prefectural e-sports association to hold hands-on seminars for senior citizens and local residents to try e-sports, which can be effective in preventing frailty. These seminars have been implemented at four Yorisoi Branches within the JA Miyagi jurisdiction and have been well received by the local participating residents, with similar efforts spreading among other JA organizations in Miyagi Prefecture. JA utilizes its strength in organizations and the effective use of its facilities to create opportunities for interactions that transcend generations and help members and users feel more familiar with JA, thereby generating more supporters in the process.
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A children’s cafe as a local gathering place: Providing value in the unique JA way
In November 2022, the Date (district) branch of JA Fukushima Mirai opened a children’s cafe called “Yorisoi Shokudo Yanagawa” with the aim of creating a community meeting place. The cafe made use of surplus agricultural products from former branches and farmer’s markets, while members of the Women’s Division took charge of cooking and serving food. The cafe events, which are publicized to local communities and elementary and junior high schools in Date City, attracting around 100 people. The facility also hosts events such as “Children’s Cafe by Children,” in which children participate as volunteer cooks to prepare and serve meals to cafe guests. This event has proved popular with both children and guests.
In December 2024, the old JA branch in the Soma district was reopened after renovation. The renewed facility features “Everyone’s Cafe,” a cafe that welcomes both children and adults. On the opening day, around 100 people, including children, parents, and local residents, enjoyed curry and soup made with local vegetables.
JA not only provides agricultural produce to the city’s children’s cafes but also holds jam making workshops and outreach lectures for elementary school students as part of their food and agriculture education. In this way, it contributes to local communities and to fostering a sense of familiarity with food and agriculture, and with JA itself, thereby building a support base for JA.
Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Future Fund Supports Local AFF Organizations
The Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Future Fund was established in 2014 by The Norinchukin Bank, a member of JA Group, JF Group and JForest Group, with a ¥20 billion contribution. This fund seeks to support initiatives to nurture leaders who drive the sustainable development of the Agriculture, Fishery, and Forester ("AFF") industries, strengthen the revenue base of these industries and revitalize local communities based on the AFF industries.
Projects Targeted by the Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Future Fund
Number of Projects Targeted and Amount of Subsidy from the Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Future Fund
Food and Farming Education Activities
Each year, we distribute booklets to children in the fifth year of elementary school across Japan covering a variety of topics, from food and farming education to environmental education to financial and economic education. We also distribute a universal edition for special education schools. In fiscal 2024, we distributed approximately 1.27 million copies free of charge to elementary schools across Japan (approx. 20,000 schools), including QR codes to improve usability.
Senior Elementary School Edition: Our Lives with Agriculture (Left), Universal Design Edition (Right)
Training the Next Generation of Farm Managers
AgriFuture Japan (AFJ), a general incorporated association of which the Bank is a main sponsor, opened the Japan Agricultural Management University in 2013 with the support of its member companies. This university aims to train the next generation of agricultural managers, with 128 graduates to date.
The university celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2023 and changed its name to the AFJ Japan Institute of Agricultural Management, launching a new online school to expand the scope of agricultural management education. Furthermore, in April 2024, the university is taking on the challenge of making further contributions to the agricultural industry by launching an educational program aimed at fostering innovators in agribusiness.
Creating Business Innovation
AgVenture Lab: A Hub for Open Innovation
The JA Group opened the AgVenture Lab, an innovation lab in Otemachi, Tokyo, in 2019. This lab was based on the concepts of cultivating agriculture for the next generation, supporting local lifestyles, and connecting places and people. AgVenture Lab connects various JA Group businesses with startup companies, partner companies, universities, governments, and other organizations that possess technologies and ideas. Through these connections, the lab works to create new businesses, develop services, and solve social issues by utilizing various knowledge and technologies.
The JA Group works with the AgVenture Lab to discover and nurture startup companies.
The JA Accelerator Program in particular accepts business plan submissions from FinTech, AgTech, FoodTech, LifeTech, and a wide range of other fields for a wide range of businesses developed by the JA Group under the theme of Co-creating Sustainable Futures in Food, Agriculture, and Lifestyles. To this end, the JA Accelerator Program aims to create new business models by leveraging the strengths of the JA Group (e.g., group branches, customer networks, and other various infrastructures). In 2024, the sixth year of the program, 9 startup companies were selected from among 207 applications.
The JA Group also holds business plan contests for student entrepreneurs and an incubation program that aims to foster new entrepreneurs. Through these efforts, the JA Group supports students and working adults looking to start their own businesses, as well as recently launched startup companies that have just begun operations.
Focusing on the education of its employees, the JA Group operates a program to develop human resources for new business creation and a cross-border training program that sends employees to study abroad at startup companies. The group follows up with employees throughout their education, from cultivating organizational awareness to practical demonstrations of what they have learned. In this way, the group fosters a culture in which employees take voluntary action and continue their pursuit of answers to questions for which there are no right answers.
In addition, AgVenture Lab works to strengthen its cooperation with farmers and governments, aiming to resolve regional issues in society as part of its efforts.
In 2020, AgVenture Lab signed a partnership agreement with the National Council of Agricultural Cooperative Youth Organizations (JA Youth) to connect agricultural production sites with startup companies. JA Zenseikyo is made up of nearly 50,000 members from mostly younger generations. Partnerships between the organization and startup companies developing new technologies are likely to generate significant synergy effects.
The JA Group is also committed to working with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and local governments to advance innovation.
AgVenture Lab Initiative Areas
| 6th JA Accelerator Program Business Plan Contest Award Recipients | |
|---|---|
| 〈Business Plan Contest Merit Award〉 6th JA Accelerator Program Participating Companies | |
| NoMy Japan K.K. (Hokkaido quota) | Food systems rooted in natural cycles |
| Legmin Inc. | Development of green onion preparation device |
| Waku Co., Ltd. | Making forestry more sustainable: Real-world applications of glutathione |
| Kaltech Corporation | Providing photocatalyst-based systems for preserving the freshness of agricultural products |
| Auder, Ltd. | A platform for management of order placement/receiving and shipment/acceptance |
| Strout Inc. | Digitally transforming aquaculture worldwide: Shizuoka-based startup transforms fish disease detection, from rule-of-thumb to AI |
| Perma Future Co., Ltd. *Hokkaido quota | No-No-No agricultural workation (no agriculture, no life)” |
| amu inc. | ‘amuca’ is a nylon material brand that transforms fishing gear waste, which accounts for 44.5% of all marine plastic waste, into future resources |
| Ingen Inc. | Creating and promoting cultivation packages that enable profitability in the first year of crop rotation and farmland expansion |
| 〈Innovation Award〉 Companies separate to this program eligible for consideration for an alliance or support | |
| CareMaker Co., Ltd., Endophyte Co., Ltd., CTE, Inc., Superworm Co., Ltd., Sunshiki Co., Ltd., Henry Monitor Inc. | |
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Noujien Platform for Solving Issues in Food and Agriculture
The AgVenture Lab is an innovation lab that actively supports agricultural support service providers in their efforts to solve many of the challenges faced in the agricultural field. Activities of the lab found that it is difficult for farmers to find appropriate services on their own. In response, the AgVenture Lab established a portal site for farmers and agricultural organizations called Noujien.
The Noujien website was constructed through a project subsidized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and aims to resolve issues faced by all individuals involved in agriculture. The site targets farmers, agricultural organizations, and government agencies who can use the site to first discover their own issues and feel encouraged to find appropriate solutions.
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Organizing a Business Plan Contest for Students
The AgVenture Lab (innovation lab) held a business plan contest for students to support student entrepreneurs who aim to solve social issues.
In fiscal 2024, 11 finalists were selected from 195 ideas submitted by universities, graduate schools, and high schools nationwide.
At the contest held in March 2025, each of the finalists presented their business plans and deepened their collaboration with participants and sponsors, including the JA Group.
The JA Group is actively engaged in dialogue with these young people that is aimed at collaboration and partnership.
Participants in the Business Plan Contest for Students
[Excellence Award]
• MICHITAL (Hokkaido University) “MICHITAL Project”
[The Norinchukin Bank Award]
• GrapeX (The University of Tokyo) GrapeX, a labor-saving solution for grape cultivation based on AI and laser technology
The JA Group Approach to the SDGs
The achievement of the SDGs requires not only the participation of governments, but also private organizations and businesses, with cooperative organizations expected to play a role as well.
In light of these circumstances and expectations of cooperatives, the JA Group released the JA Group Declaration of Commitment to the SDGs in 2020, which outlines the JA Group's basic approach to the SDGs.
As a member of the JA Group, the Bank will also promote efforts to achieve the SDGs.
- Sustainability
- Sustainability Management
- Highlights of Initiatives
- Formulation of Purpose of the Bank and Milestones of Sustainable Management
- Philosophies and Policies
- Sustainability Promotion Structure
- Sustainability Advisory Board
- Important Issues to Achieve Our Purpose
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Participation in Initiatives
- Sustainable Finance
- Initiatives for Creating and Visualizing Impact
- Initiatives to Manage Environmental and Social Risks
- Agriculture, Fishery, Forestry Industries, and Regions
- Environment
- Social
- Governance
- Report/Index