Co-creation platform "V Everyone's Ethical Food Lab" holds first "Food Sustainability Forum 2024"

2024.07.31 Press Releases
CCC MK HOLDINGS Co., Ltd.

- 12 companies participating, including Meiji, Mizkan, Seven & i, Nichirei, House Foods, and Sagamiya Foods -

V Minna no Ethical Food Lab, a co-creation platform run by CCC MK HOLDINGS Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Yasunori Takahashi; hereinafter referred to as "CCCMKHD"), held the first "Food Sustainability Forum 2024" on Friday, July 19, 2024, in cooperation with Future Sessions Inc.

The Food Sustainability Forum 2024 aims to clarify the consumer value of ethical food by providing information that will lead to suggestions on how to create and communicate consumer value for ethical products based on analysis of V POINT purchasing data and survey results, as well as case studies from various companies. We plan to hold a total of four sessions, with participation from stakeholders across industries and sectors, including food manufacturers, distributors, and tech.

About the 1st Food Sustainability Forum

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With the cooperation of Future Sessions Inc., CCCMKHD held the first Food Sustainability Forum in Shibuya, Tokyo on Friday, July 19th. A total of 30 people participated from Ethical Spirits Co., Ltd., Kyodo News Inc., Sagamiya Foods Co., Ltd., Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd., Nichirei Foods Inc., NEC Corporation, House Foods Group Inc., House Foods Corporation, Hitachi Solutions Ltd., Mizkan Holdings Inc., and Meiji Holdings Co., Ltd. (listed in alphabetical order), and a session was held on the theme of "Food Sustainability."

During the session, participants worked in small groups to deepen their discussions on the "future of food that each individual wants to realize," "the future of food that they want to share with consumers," and "how ethics relates to and contributes to the future of food that they want to share." Finally, participants exchanged opinions on the "questions they want to explore and actions they want to take through this forum."Participants shared their honest thoughts and ideas for reexamining ethics not only from the perspective of a businessperson, but also from the perspective of a consumer, with comments such as, "What is ethical food that can be enjoyed rather than felt obligated to do? I want to explore values that allow choices to be made in line with the diversity of food," "I want to explore value that goes beyond deliciousness so that ethical consumption does not feel forced on consumers," "I want to develop a new word to replace 'ethical' that will interest even people who are not interested in food," "I want to think about how we can bring producers and consumers closer together, using data as a medium," and "I want to use IT to communicate the added value of products that solve social issues, or customer value, so that people can empathize with solving social issues in the places where they are produced."

■Comments from participants

Meiji Holdings Co., Ltd.
Managing Executive Officer, CSO, Head of Sustainability Promotion Department
Mr. Shinji Matsuoka
By participating in this forum and having the opportunity to discuss the "future of food" with people from different industries, I was reminded that there is a wide variety of values and ways of looking at things. At the same time, I keenly felt the need to step outside the box of my own thinking and reexamine my own common sense. I look forward to seeing how, by combining the values of all the participating members, we can create a vision of a sustainable food future that will bring smiles to everyone's faces with unprecedented ideas, and what ethical approaches we can take to make this a reality.

Mizkan Holdings Co., Ltd.
Executive Officer, ZENB Business Marketing & Direct Group Leader
Takeshi Sato
In order to create a future where delicious and enjoyable dining is a given, I feel that ethical and sustainable awareness and behavior towards the food environment needs to become something that is not special or lofty, but rather something that is part of the fabric of society and is incorporated into the unconscious habits of consumers. Towards that future, I hope to work with people from a wide range of genres and industries who will be gathering at this forum to produce output that will change the course of society!

Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd.
ESG Promotion Headquarters Sustainability Promotion Department Officer
Ayako Suzuki
As a retailer that has contact with customers (consumers) mainly through food, we are working on how to provide ethical and sustainable food while solving environmental and social issues, and how to communicate that value and gain empathy. These efforts cannot be achieved by any one company alone. We hope to work together with everyone at this forum to realize an ethical and sustainable food future.

The second Food Sustainability Forum is scheduled to be held in October 2024. We will be hosting a workshop featuring Takumi Kato, full-time lecturer/PhD, School of Commerce, Meiji University, and Masanori Koizumi, Senior Professional, Corporate Business Development Division, NEC Corporation, to unravel the consumer value of ethical products using V POINT purchasing data and consumer survey analysis results. In addition, Tsutomu Ono, Representative Director and CEO of Ethical Spirits Inc., will introduce the efforts of the Tokyo Riverside Distillery, which is attracting attention as a pioneering example of a start-up company, and which offers craft gin made from unused sake lees, as well as a bar and dining area (content is subject to change).

CCC MK HOLDINGS will work with all stakeholders involved in food, including consumers, manufacturers, and distributors, to help ethical food become more widespread in society, and each and every activity of the "V Everyone's Ethical Food Lab" will contribute to creating a food cycle that will connect to the future.

Materials related to this matter

Co-creation platform "V Everyone's Ethical Food Lab" holds first "Food Sustainability Forum 2024"

Inquiries regarding this matter
CCC MK HOLDINGS Co., Ltd.
Public Relations Office
TEL: 03-6800-4464／MAIL: cccmkpr@ccc.co.jp