Today's Meal CO₂⑦ Ichifuji Food Service's Challenge: Realizing the Ideal - "Implementing" Food x CO₂ -
Part 7: Today's Meal CO₂
- Carbon Neutrality Starting from Food -
"Will SDGs increase sales?"
When Ichifuji Food Service Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "Ichifuji"), which has been in business for over 100 years, tried to promote environmental initiatives, it is said that such frank voices were raised from within the company. "How do environmental initiatives connect to daily operations and sales?"
This time, we interviewed the person in charge at Ichifuji to ask about the background of the initiatives, the challenges within the company, and the ingenuity that led to their implementation.
Just stating it won't change anything
Initially, awareness of the SDGs themselves was not high within the company, and there was a sense of concern that "there is no point in just stating them."
Therefore, at Ichifuji, they began to consider
how to position the SDGs within management, rather than just as a slogan.
In doing so, the visualization of the carbon footprint (CFP) aimed at CO₂ reduction, starting from their strength in "food," began as a new initiative.
Why "Food x CO₂"?
"As a food service company, I thought it would be good to contribute through food."
Food is an action that everyone is involved in every day. It is also an area where customers and companies can share the same experience.
There was no theme more suitable than this as an entry point for making environmental initiatives a "personal matter."
A challenge that started with "Can we do it?"
The first impression was very simple. "Can we do it?" That was an expectation for something new, and at the same time, it was also anxiety.
The wall of executing it in each individual cafeteria
When they actually started considering it, the biggest wall was whether the visualization of CFP could be executed in each individual cafeteria.
For example, even just looking at the cooking process, if you try to accurately quantify the CO₂ emissions of: ・Heat source ・Cooking time ・Handling of ingredients, the operation of providing meals becomes difficult.
Therefore, at Ichifuji, they repeated: ・Organizing and standardizing the processes necessary for calculation ・Designing common rules ・Verifying operations, and realized
the compatibility of "the accuracy of explainable CO₂ emissions" and "the mechanism of operation in the cafeteria"
.
Furthermore, what supports this initiative is a calculation mechanism that links recipe data with CO₂ emissions. In order to calculate the environmental impact for each menu item and update it continuously, a system that can be incorporated into daily operations, rather than one-off calculations, is necessary.
At Ichifuji, while repeating trial and error regarding the handling of such data, they were able to realize "visualization in a form that can be used in each individual cafeteria."
Introducing sustainable ingredients
With soy meat, which we introduced as a sustainable ingredient, we faced challenges such as:
・Anxiety about the taste
・Familiarity with cooking methods
・Customer reactions
However, by increasing the variety of menu options, cooking know-how was accumulated, customers' psychological hurdles were lowered, and it eventually transformed into a 'menu of choice'.
What do the actual menus look like?
In company cafeterias, CO₂ emissions (CFP) are displayed in this way as part of event menus.
For example, menus utilizing soy meat show that CO₂ emissions are reduced compared to conventional meat menus.
By presenting environmental impact in a 'visible form' within daily menus, a system is created where customers can make choices naturally.
Visualized results
What Ichifuji was strongly committed to was the way 'visualization' is handled.
Rather than simply putting out numbers, it was important that they be explainable figures.
This was crucial.
By showing environmental impact not as a feeling, but as a figure that can be compared with other menu items, the necessity of taking action is conveyed.
And that leads to:
・Internal consensus
・Customer understanding
・A sense of progress for continuation
CFP is not the 'goal'
What Ichifuji's efforts demonstrate is clear.
The goal of CFP is not just 'to display it'.
The real value lies in the track record built up as explainable figures.
Rather than treating environmental response as a separate activity,
incorporate it into management.
That stance is the essence of this initiative.
Changing awareness from within the company
Through these efforts, changes are also emerging within the company.
Staff members who were initially in a state of 'What is CFP?' have, after about a year and a half of efforts, become able to engage in more concrete and realistic discussions.
We also observed changes on the customer side.
Contrary to our expectation that people might prioritize price and volume over the environment, many customers chose the soy meat menu.
The Future We Aim For
We are aiming for a society where people can choose their food with the environment in mind, just as they choose healthy menus.
Making environmental consideration not something special, but a natural choice in daily meals.
To achieve this, it is important not just to provide information, but to offer it in a
form that can be sustained without effort.
Ichifuji's initiatives are aimed at realizing such 'environmental actions integrated into daily life.'
What It Means to Realize an Ideal
What has become clear from Ichifuji's efforts is the reality that actions cannot be sustained by ideals alone.
Many people understand that being environmentally conscious is important. However, to continue doing so in daily operations and choices, it must be established as a 'system.'
A calculation system that links recipe data with CO₂ emissions, rule design that can be executed without strain in each individual cafeteria, and visualization as explainable numerical data.
Only through such accumulation can environmental initiatives function within daily life, rather than remaining 'special activities.'
It is easy to set an ideal. However, continuing to actually execute it is not easy.
That is precisely why turning ideals into systems is important.
That may well be the key to spreading 'Food x CO₂' throughout society.
Conclusion
To companies that want to work on the environment but don't know where to start, the members of Ichifuji say with a smile:
'Where there is a will, there is a way.'
By devising ways to approach it, we can steadily and carefully build it up.
That first step has already begun in some cafeterias. And it is certainly beginning to spread.
■ Everyone who cooperated with the interview
We would like to thank everyone for their interviews and cooperation in the creation of this article.
★Thank you very much for your valuable time and insights.
■ About Ichifuji Food Service Co., Ltd.
Founded in 1901.
Ichifuji Food Service Co., Ltd. is a company that develops food services nationwide, focusing on the school lunch business.
They provide meals in a wide range of fields, including companies, schools, medical facilities, and welfare facilities, supporting people's health and lives through "food."
In recent years, they have also been working on menu development and operations that incorporate perspectives on SDGs and environmental considerations, continuing their challenge toward providing sustainable food.
■ Official Website
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Next Preview
"Food x CO₂" spreading to school cafeterias, companies, and society
This initiative, which began in employee cafeterias, is now moving to a new stage.
・Corporate employee cafeterias
・School cafeterias
・Dining out
・Food companies
It is expected to expand into various fields such as these.
Next time, we will introduce
initiatives being carried out in university cafeteriasas a case study from the University of Tsukuba.
📖 Series: CO₂ in Today's Meal
How do food choices change the environment and society?
This is a series exploring the possibilities of "Food x Carbon Neutrality" through case studies of employee cafeterias, universities, and companies.
※This magazine is planned and edited by the SuMPO Marketing Division note editorial department.
[Contact Information]
Sustainable Management Promotion Organization (SuMPO)
Corporate Planning Headquarters, Marketing Department, Marketing Division
pr@sumpo.or.jp