The JTB Group is working together with like-minded partners to find solutions to the pressing global issues of food loss and food waste.
Under the Loss-Tabican initiative, JTB and collaborating organizations purchase aesthetically imperfect but otherwise perfectly edible vegetables from growers and use recipes created by leading chefs to turn these veggies into tasty canned foods. Loss-Tabican is one of the many ways we are using our business as a vehicle for solving real-world challenges.

The Issue

Food loss and food waste are major obstacles to the development of sustainable food systems around the world. In many instances, perfectly edible vegetables are discarded by growers solely because of their misshapen or deformed appearance. In Japan alone, approximately 1.77 million tons* of so-called ‘ugly produce’ is thrown away by farmers each year… enough to fill an entire stadium.
When produce is thrown away without being consumed, it ends up either burned or buried as trash. The result? Unnecessary generation of CO2, methane and other harmful greenhouse gases.

Introducing Loss-Tabican

KPIs & Performance

nextender

Solutions to the complex real-world challenges faced by today’s society require a multi-stakeholder approach. For more than 110 years, the JTB Group has been partnering with communities, businesses, schools and government agencies to deliver products, services and solutions that enrich people’s lives and nurture the environment.
Our nextender® innovation platform leverages the JTB Group’s core competencies (Connecting, Creating, Contributing) to drive collaborative sustainability solutions. Loss-Tabican is a promising initiative that has recently emerged from nextender’s BS Start-up Accelerator Program.

https://www.nextender.jtbcorp.jp/

What Makes Loss-Tabican special?

Loss-Tabican canned foods are ideal as emergency food rations and camping/backpacking eats.
As gift items, they help to spread awareness of the importance of food sustainability. Through picture books and kid-friendly characters, the JTB Group is also working to raise awareness among children about the importance of sustainable food consumption.

The Loss-Tabican Journey

What makes Loss-Tabican special?

Loss-Tabican Partners

Our Loss-Tabican partners share JTB’s vision for food sustainability and a healthier planet. We have already issued two joint press releases with a reach of over 128,000.
In FY23, Loss-Tabican was showcased at six events attended by more than 25,000 people. JTB is eager to expand the circle of sustainability engagement and develop new solutions to today’s sustainability challenges.

Farmers Forest Group…

… is a community-based trading company focused on next-generation agriculture and eco-tourism. Farmers Forest Group provides full-service support for local brands through manufacturing, training and community development.

CANNATUREL…

… brings together growers and industry partners across Japan to create delicious, additive-free canned foods with a long shelf life.

Tokyo Dome Hotel…

… is a unique hotel located in Tokyo’s city center. Tokyo Dome Hotel seeks to provide a welcoming and playful ambiance while fulfilling its social responsibilities.

Refre Kayanosato…

… is a unique facility with strong community ties featuring a farm-to-table restaurant and lodging accommodations as well as agricultural processing and pancake manufacturing facilities.

Hotel Nikko Tsukuba…

… is located in the heart of Tsukuba City. Hotel Nikko Tsukuba endorses the SDGs and is engaged in toothbrush recycling as well as numerous other eco-friendly initiatives.

eat for…

… is a food truck inspired by the philosophy that ‘eating can change the world’. The company supports growers by buying produce ‘stranded’ by supply chain disruptions and natural disasters.

Message

Saving veggies from the trash bin!

Growing up in a farming family in the Kiyose City, I was no stranger to agriculture. As an adult, I returned to the family farm during the pandemic when my work hours at JTB were reduced. I saw with my own eyes that misshapen but otherwise perfectly edible vegetables were being discarded as trash. This really bothered me. My unwillingness to stand idly by and let this happen became the inspiration for Loss-Tabican.
This project would never have seen the light of day without the engagement of numerous stakeholders, including the farmers who grow the produce, the hotel chefs who create the recipes, the staff who run the booths when we exhibit, and all of our corporate partners. I am truly grateful to everyone who has played a role and I hope that Loss-Tabican will inspire others to take action - no matter how small - to address the issue of food loss and create a more sustainable food system.

Misuzu Koito
Third Business Division Business Solution Headquarters JTB Corp.