Disaster stockpile redistribution model to tackle food waste in Japan

Disaster preparedness supplier Kishida Sangyo and social good platform Kuradashi are joining hands to tackle food waste. Kishida Sangyo will collect emergency food and drinking water approaching expiration dates from its corporate clients. Kuradashi, which focuses on food waste, will then purchase these items and resell them directly to consumers at discounted rates via its platform.

In Japan, businesses routinely maintain emergency food reserves for employees as part of disaster preparedness management against earthquakes and severe weather events. However, managing these is a challenge as safety protocols require companies to replace stockpiles several months before their expiration dates. As such, substantial quantities of edible food items are discarded or incinerated when alternative distribution channels are unavailable. They represent an expense for companies too, incurring waste disposal fees.

On the other hand, the new collection and resale model turns the linear disposal process into a circular system. They establish a designated redistribution pipeline, and eliminate disposal costs for participating businesses, even recovering value through repurchase arrangements. Simultaneously, consumers gain access to affordable emergency rations, encouraging households to build their own emergency supplies and heightening general disaster readiness.

“As a company providing disaster preparedness supplies, we believe it is vital to take responsibility not only for promoting preparedness, but also for the subsequent replacement and effective use of these items,” said Takuma Kishida, Representative Director of Kishida Sangyo.

Kohei Tokuyama, Executive Officer and CEO of the Kuradashi Food Company, noted the dual social benefit of the partnership. “In recent years, natural disasters such as earthquakes and torrential rains have occurred frequently,” Tokuyama said. “A mechanism that smoothly recirculates stockpiles not only reduces food waste but also serves as an opportunity to raise individual disaster awareness.”