NTT Agri Technology Co., Ltd.
Agricultural Research Institute and NTT Agri-Technology sign capital and business alliance agreement -Promoting co-creation projects to realize sustainable agriculture-
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Agricultural Research Institute, Inc. (Headquarters: Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture / President and Representative Director Hiroshi Horiuchi, hereinafter referred to as “Agricultural Research
Institute”) and NTT Agri-Technology Corporation (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo / Representative Director and President Taiga Sakai, hereinafter referred to as “Agricultural Research Institute”) NTT Agri-Technology”) is jointly promoting a series of initiatives aimed at creating new value through agricultural products, such as providing a stable food supply for Japan, realizing sustainable agriculture, and revitalizing the distribution of safe and secure domestic vegetables. The two companies have agreed to move forward, and will conclude a capital and business alliance agreement on Tuesday, September 3, 2024.
■Background and purpose
In recent years, in the agricultural field, there has been a rapid decline in the number of agricultural workers and an aging population in Japan, leading to the need to secure farmers and the inheritance of skills, while in the world, there has been a need to maintain a stable food supply due to infectious diseases, geopolitical risks, and worsening climate change. Risks to food safety have become an issue. Under these circumstances, NTT Agri-Technology, as the only company in the NTT Group specializing in agriculture, has set the vision of “transforming the region to the next generation with AGRI-TECH” and using ICT to design and construct state-of-the-art greenhouses with high yields and stable supply. We have been promoting various projects with the aim of developing highly productive agriculture and regional agriculture, by working on production and sales at large-scale facility gardens where we can expect high yields, and implementing data-driven agriculture using digital technology. The National Institute of Agriculture is a leading company in direct distribution, with the vision of “realizing a sustainable agricultural industry and enriching people’s lives,” and aiming to build a system that will ensure that agriculture does not disappear in Japan and the world. “Farmer’s Direct Sales Business,” which utilizes approximately 90 collection points nationwide to sell agricultural products directly to supermarkets (approximately 2,000 stores), as well as purchasing agricultural products from producers, branding them, and distributing them to supermarkets. We have developed a “direct wholesale business”. While both companies have been discussing various initiatives aimed at realizing sustainable agriculture, they have found resonance with each other’s philosophy and are working on a co-creation project that utilizes the assets of both companies in order to realize the vision set forth by both companies. We agreed to go. In the future, by combining the strengths of both companies, “large-scale greenhouse horticulture business” and “direct wholesale business,” we will connect producers and consumers, provide a stable supply of Japanese food, and distribute and expand highly safe domestically produced vegetables. We will continue to create new value through agricultural products.
■Details of capital and business alliance
・Development, distribution, and sales of processed food products using substandard vegetables, etc. that contribute to adding value to agricultural products and reducing food loss.
・Joint development and deployment of an AI demand forecasting system that utilizes big data, etc., to optimize the distribution volume and sales price of agricultural products in the business operated by the National Agriculture Research Institute.
・In addition, consider and promote various measures and new business models through collaboration between the two companies.
-Collaboration image-
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