Updated by "Forest Circular Economy" Editorial Board on April 22, 2025, 9:02 PM JST
Editorial Board, Forest Circular Economy
Forestcircularity-editor
We aim to realize "Vision 2050: Japan Shines, Forest Circular Economy" promoted by the Platinum Forest Industry Initiative. We will disseminate ideas and initiatives to promote biomass chemistry, realize wooden cities, and encourage innovation in the forestry industry in order to fully utilize forest resources to decarbonize, strengthen economic security, and create local communities.
The town of Minakami in Gunma Prefecture and Starbucks Coffee Japan have launched a new initiative aimed at realizing a sustainable society that makes the most of local resources. While making use of local forest resources such as thinned wood, they will embark on solving social issues with an eye to addressing climate change and preserving biodiversity.
The agreement aims to restore and strengthen the multifaceted functions of forests, including water source recharge, ecosystem conservation, and mitigation of global warming. The company intends to promote the cyclical use of local resources by focusing on a variety of thinned wood that has not been fully utilized in the past. Starbucks has already been creating spaces utilizing domestic timber in some of its stores, and this agreement will make its efforts more community-based. By taking advantage of Starbucks' planning and design capabilities, as well as its extensive customer contacts, the company may be able to create innovative new ways to use thinned wood, and this may lead to a wider recognition of its value in society.
Minakami Town is located at the headwaters of the Tone River and is known as a "town of water sources. While the town has abundant forest resources, maintenance and management of these resources is an important issue. Forests that are not well cared for may not fully fulfill their multifaceted functions. Proper forest management, especially thinning, is essential for nurturing healthy forests and maintaining and improving their multifaceted functions.
Forest management in the area that serves as the "water reservoir for the metropolitan area" is also closely linked to urban life. Starbucks' focus on this area is intended to further strengthen environmental considerations in the company's supply chain. Starbucks, a major coffee chain, is leveraging its brand power and network to work with local governments on forest conservation, a move that deserves attention from the perspective of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) management.
This agreement is not just a CSR measure, but also an actionable initiative to promote projects through collaboration between the public and private sectors. It has the potential to become a new model case for sustainable local economies and recycling of natural resources through co-creation between companies and local governments.
