VISION03 A Society Where People Can Enjoy Safe and Plentiful Food

YANMAR E-STIR CO., LTD.

Our Bio-composter YC100 not only reduces food waste, but also saves disposal costs through resource recycling

Challenges

A large amount of food waste is generated around us every day, including food losses from restaurants, supermarkets, and food factories. In fact, about 25 million tons of food is disposed of annually in Japan^*1, and a large amount of CO₂ is generated from the disposal process. In addition, the disposal costs are also increasing year by year, making it an urgent issue for businesses from both environmental and cost perspectives.

• *1Estimated amount of food waste generated in FY2018 based on Ministry of the Environment press release on April 27, 2021.

Solution

Yanmar E-Stir has developed and begun accepting orders for the YC100 bio-composter, which recycles resources by reducing the volume of food waste generated in agriculture and food processing. YC100 operates in Air Direct Injection method that pumps air into the tank to speed up the decomposition of the waste. 100 kg of food waste are decomposed per day at a reduction rate of approximately 80%^*2, which contributes not only to resource recycling but also saving disposal costs. An activated carbon absorption type deodorization device suppresses the odor of waste, making it hygienic and environmentally friendly to the surroundings.

Our unique proprietary technology optimally controls temperature, air volume, and agitation speed and frequency, and the rotary system which applies tractor tillage technology agitates the material evenly. In addition, the weighing function prevents overfilling with food scraps.

The soil activators and compost generated are returned to the farmland, thus achieving the recycling of agricultural resources.

• *2Reduction rate on our test equipment

Provided value

We are committed to building a resource recycling model that makes effective use of food waste. By returning the food waste decomposed by YC100 to the earth as soil activator or compost, it is possible to create a sustainable food supply chain.

YANMAR GREEN SYSTEM CO., LTD.

Contributing to smart farming in the Nagasaki loquat production area with Yanmar’s smart sorting system that saves labor for loquat farmers and leads to improved quality of produce.

Challenges

Nagasaki boasts the highest volume of loquat production in Japan, however in recent years, due to natural disasters, the damages such as internal rot during the distribution stage, a serious shortage of farmers, and an aging population, the cultivation area for loquats is less than half compared to its peak in 1992. In response to this, we are working to save labor and strengthen the brand of the fruit. Since 2020, the latest smart farming technology was introduced and piloted using the Smart Farming Technology Development and Testing Project of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and initiatives to improve the productivity of cultivation are underway.

Solution

The smart sorting system developed by Yanmar Green System has been adopted in the Smart Farming Technology Development and Testing Project promoted by the Nagasaki Loquat Production Consortium, supporting local loquat production.

Until now, the standards for shipping loquats have focused on appearance, while consumers increasingly tend to focus on freshness and taste. In addition to measuring the sugar content with optical sensors, the smart sorting system can also detect internal spoilage, which is difficult to detect from visual appearance, helping to guarantee freshness and sweetness.

Furthermore, because the sorting results can be displayed using projection mapping, there is no need to transfer the collected loquats to the sorting machine, making it possible to ship loquats without damaging their fuzziness, which is a measure of their freshness. Results from sorting are accumulated as data for each producer and can be fed back into cultivation management. In addition, the sorting and shipping work accounts for a large amount of labor hours, but by improving the efficiency of the packing and boxing, the overall work time can be reduced by 11%, contributing to the reduction of labor and costs involved in shipping.

Provided value

In addition to smart sorting systems, smart farming technologies such as the latest weather forecast systems and pesticide spraying using drones are bringing about major changes in Nagasaki’s loquat production area. We will contribute to reducing work for loquat farmers through labor-saving techniques and improving profitability by improving quality and branding.