Koyu Cafe introduces locally-sourced Kyupan bread to encourage ethical eating

Koyu Cafe in Shintomi-cho, Miyazaki, is a community-based cafe that focuses on the ethical consumption of local vegetables. The company announced on February 22 that they would take preorders for Kyupan’s organic plain bread. All the ingredients used, from yeast, flour and salt to butter and grains, are grown on the Kyushu island, which is located southwest of the main island of Japan, Honshu.

Kyupan is a gourmet bread brand owned by Miyazaki-based company Ippei Holdings, and since its debut in 2018, it has been popular with health-conscious consumers in the area. Kyupan is only sold on a preorder basis at other local venues, and the collaboration with Koyu Cafe marks the company’s fourth partnership.

Koyu Cafe is run by Shintomi-cho based Koyu Foundation, which addresses sustainable community development. The cafe has been an active promoter of conscious consumption. It has been organizing kid-friendly workshops to raise awareness about food waste. It also uses the so-called ‘non-standard’ vegetables, which are unusually shaped or slightly damaged, and which often go to waste on farms. Koyu Cafe is serving vegetarian curries using these imperfect veggies.

How is “eating local food” ethical consumption?

Koyu Cafe supports SDG Goal 12 entitled “Responsible Consumption and Production,” and says that the collaboration with Kyupan is one of its contributions to this goal.

The cafe supports eating local food for its numerous benefits. First of all, it is good for the environment because the food doesn’t have to travel far before it reaches consumers, saving energy and greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, eating local food supports the local economy, as well as being a safer food supply in general. Moreover, since local food has a shorter time between harvest and consumption, it is more nutritious, depending on the food.

Koyu Cafe takes preorders for Kyupan between Tuesdays and Thursdays and has the products ready for consumption on Saturdays. Taking preorders helps the bakers to manage their baking schedule properly, and therefore reduces the risk of wasting food. Customers can enjoy safe and healthy bread while contributing to local community development. The Koyu Cafe and Kyupan collaboration means a step forward to create a ripple effect of ethical local food consumption throughout the region.