Updated by "Forest Circular Economy" Editorial Board on December 02, 2025, 1:50 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 woody and lumbery communities, and encourage innovation in the forestry industry in order to fully utilize forest resources to decarbonize the economy, strengthen economic security, and create local communities.
Toyo Seikan Group Holdings has launched the "+GIBIER Project" in collaboration with Tsuji Culinary School and the Japan Gibier Promotion Association, using retort pouch technology to sell canned venison from Nagano Prefecture from December 2025. By applying packaging technology that enables long-term preservation at room temperature, the project aims to ensure the safety of gibier and solve distribution issues.
In recent years, damage to crops caused by wild birds and beasts has become increasingly serious, and the number of wild birds and beasts captured has been on the rise. However, there are three major barriers that have held back the utilization of wild birds and beasts for food: sanitary management to ensure safety, the cost of distribution and storage, and the need for expertise in cooking.
The retort technology using pressurized thermal sterilization to be introduced in the "+GIBIER Project" not only assures safety through powerful sterilization, but also enables long-term storage at room temperature. Since it is less complicated to prepare, it can significantly reduce the inventory risk and cooking burden that capture sites and restaurants have had to deal with in the past.
Currently, approximately 90% of captured wild game is disposed of. The distribution of wild game as a food resource will lead to the utilization of wild birds and animals as well as to the strengthening of the economic foundation of the region. In addition, the enjoyment of the bounty of the forest by consumers will in turn support appropriate forest management. This project is attracting attention as a new model of circulation that links the maintenance of forest ecosystems and the revitalization of local economies through "food.
