Hair and farming! Growing soybeans with new circular farming project

A new farming project has been launched in Japan to turn human hair into a valuable resource for agriculture. It’s a material typically destined for incineration, but an urban hair salon is working with a rural farm to use it as a resources for circular farming.

The collaboration is between the non-profit organisation Matter of Trust Japan, the “Uribo no Sato” farm in Minobu, and the “hairmake arch” hair salon in Yokohama. It aims to use hair clippings to enrich the soil for cultivating “Akebono soybeans,” a native variety grown in the region.

Hair is rich in keratin, a natural protein. As it decomposes in the ground, it is expected to improve soil structure by increasing water retention and aeration, which in turn supports beneficial microbial activity. In Japan, it is estimated that hundreds of tonnes of hair from salons are incinerated annually. This project will divert a waste product into a natural soil conditioner.

This project draws inspiration from a successful international precedent. A project in Chile by Matter of Trust, called “Agropelo,” used mats woven from human and pet hair to cover the soil around crops in arid regions. The results showed a 71% reduction in water evaporation and a cut in irrigation water use by up to 48%. Furthermore, nutrients in the hair, such as nitrogen and calcium, contributed to a more than 30% increase in crop yields.

The Japanese trial began on 2 July and will run for approximately five months, through the soybean harvest season. During this period, the team will monitor crop development and changes in soil nutrients. The partners intend for this pilot scheme to serve as a model for a nationwide system that redirects hair waste from cities to agricultural areas.