Kokubu Farm's Circulation System - December 2002

Kokubu Farm's Circulation System - December 2002

Kokubu Farm, located in Otama Village, Adachi District, Fukushima Prefecture, has introduced a circular farming system that effectively reuses organic matter from the region. This system collaborates with the inns of Mount Adatara Onsen Cooperative to compost approximately 200 tons of food leftovers and livestock manure annually, reducing the waste disposal costs of the inns by about 40%. About 100 tons of food waste are collected annually from the inns, with an additional 50 tons from restaurants. The collected waste is processed at a composting facility and turned into nutrient-rich compost, which is used on Kokubu Farm's 20 hectares of farmland, contributing to the production of approximately 150 tons of crops annually.

In addition, Kokubu Farm receives about 500 tons of organic waste annually from the entire Adachi District. This has successfully reduced the overall waste disposal costs in the region by 30%, or about 5 million yen. After the introduction of the composting system, annual waste disposal costs have decreased from approximately 15 million yen to 10 million yen.

This composting system is supported by the "Fukushima Organic Recycling Cooperative" and jointly operated with the local company "Fukushima Biotech Co., Ltd." As a result, the system efficiently processes organic waste across the region and has gained attention as a model case of circular agriculture. It is spreading among agricultural workers throughout Fukushima Prefecture.