Marubeni Corporation (hereinafter, “Marubeni”) has been collaborating with Farmnote Dairy Platform Inc. (hereinafter, “Farmnote DP”) to convert reductions of greenhouse gas (hereinafter, “GHG”) emissions in the livestock sector into credits, and on September 16, Japan’s first GHG emission reduction project for the conversion of the disposal management system for livestock excreta*1 was registered for the J-Credit Scheme.*2

As global warming progresses, the average temperature in Japan has been rising at nearly twice the speed of the global average.*3 These rising temperatures have also been impacting the production environment of the livestock industry, as seen in the declining yields of milk and feed crops. In addition, GHGs derived from livestock excreta in Japan occupy about 12% of GHG emissions in the entire agriculture, forestry, and fisheries industry, *4 making reducing emissions a crucial issue.

This newly registered project aims to reduce GHG emissions by introducing a slurry separator and aerobically digesting the excreta of dairy cows, which was previously stored and sprayed on the fields. By changing the disposal management system of solid matter from “storage” to “aerobic digestion,”*5 which has a smaller GHG emission and a lower environmental impact, at Farmnote DP, it is possible to reduce CO2 equivalent to 175 tons annually (as of September 2022). This project’s success was achieved by utilizing Marubeni’s know-how regarding calculation of GHG emissions, application and sales of J-Credits, and collaborating with Farmnote DP, which manages stock farms that are friendly to the environment and livestock.

As the demand for J-Credits grows in Japan, Marubeni not only sells J-Credits, but also utilizes an incentive for the J-Credits Scheme, which returns the profits from sales of J-Credits to livestock farmers to accelerate the installation of excrement treatment facilities and decarbonization. Marubeni has formulated a long-term vision on climate change, which aims to achieve net-zero GHG emissions in the Group by 2050, and has been focusing on initiatives to decarbonize the livestock industry as part of its green strategy. Going forward, Marubeni will leverage DX in the livestock industry and its globally-accumulated decarbonization knowledge to contribute to the creation of a sustainable livestock industry that is friendly to farmers, livestock, and the environment.

*1 Conversion of the disposal management system for livestock excreta: Approved methodology no. AG-002

*2 The J-Credit Scheme is designed to certify the amount of greenhouse gas emissions reduced and removed by sinks within Japan.
Reference: The J-Credit Scheme (https://japancredit.go.jp/english/)

*3 Reference: 2021 MAFF policy, Strategy for Sustainable Food Systems, MeaDRI (in Japanese),
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/kanbo/kankyo/seisaku/midori/attach/pdf/index-7.pdf

*4 Reference: 2021 MAFF report, Situation Surrounding Livestock Environment (in Japanese),
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/chikusan/kankyo/taisaku/attach/pdf/index-87.pdf

*5 Aerobic digestion: Fermentation which occurs when solid matter is exposed to oxygen

Farmnote DP
Company name	Farmnote Dairy Platform Inc.
Head office	1736 Tawarabashi Nakashibetsu-cho,Shibetsu-gun, Hokkaido 086-1137 Japan
Incorporated	2019
President and CEO	Shinya Kobayashi
Main business	farm management
Website (in Japanese)	https://farmnote-dp.jp/