Food waste turns into business🍌🍎👍

What comes to mind when you hear the word "fermentation"?

For me, unique Japanese ingredients such as natto and miso come to mind.

This time, I was able to listen to a lecture from Rina Sakai, the founder of a company that is using "fermentation" technology in a new way.

These days, the whole world is facing the issue of food waste. In this situation, she is working on solving the problem.

Her company, FERMENSTATION, is working to realize a perfect circular economy to with its original fermentation technology.

They fermented food waste and turned it into alcohol, transforming it into biofuel or new products. 

Guest Speaker: Rina Sakai🗣️

She was born and raised in Tokyo. Her favorite fermented drink is beer🍺

After graduating from ICU, International Christian University, She worked as a banker for 6 year.

She experienced a two-year secondment. There, she worked in support of NGO. Seeing their activities closely, she thought it would be great if she could solve environmental and social problems while pursuing business.

She was also involved in the Shinkansen export project. She enjoyed her work very much, but always wondered what she could do to help the environment or some community.

Afterwards, she left the bank and worked for a foreign financial institution. At the time, she saw a TV program featuring fermentation technology and microorganisms that can be used to make medicine and protect the environment.

She thought as she watched it.

And then, the passion made her quit her job and reenter university.

There, she learned that the fermentation technology can change food waste into an energy.

This is the beginning of "FERMENSTATION ".

Logo and Slogan of FERMENSTATION 
source: FERMENSTATION
https://fermenstation.co.jp

FERMENSTATION is working on…

FERMENSTATION does business in collaboration with many companies and organizations.

They created over 200 items reborn from food waste, including skincare, hair care, body care and hygiene products. Their market has no limit.

For example, they worked with ANA, one of the most famous airline of Japan. In fact, ANA is responsible for the transportation of 10% of the bananas imported into Japan, it has a lot of wasted bananas. So, they are turned into alcohol and then into sanitizing sheets by technology of Fermentation.

Other than that, they also worked on using the residue from grilled rice balls as a sanitizing sheets.

Now, they are now working on a project to turn apple pomace into a sanitizing spray, and they have already raised their money through crowdfunding.

In this way, they are having a positive impact on the community and society while growing their business.

Sanitizing sheets reborn from bananas and a banana
source: FERMENSTATION
https://fermenstation.co.jp

Sanitizing spray reborn from apple pomace
source: Circular Economy Hub
https://cehub.jp/news/fermenstation-ringo-sanitizer/

Key to success🔑

Here are the keys to success she shared with us.

① Meet right people

② Keep acting

Her first encounter in this fermentation business was with farmers in Iwate.

Iwate has many fallow rice paddies, and she took on the challenge of turning the rice grown there into biofuel. This was her first project. 

She worked really hard together with local rice farmers and city officials.

But unfortunately, it didn't work. It cost too much.

However, she did not give up on her goal of creating a better circular society through fermentation. She kept her faith.

After a while, a city official from the rice fermentation project joined her company. This was a great help to her.

And then, she participated in a program that supports women entrepreneurs and had the opportunity to give a presentation.

After the presentation, the response she received from many people was
"it doesn't seem you're gonna succeed. It's not gonna work."

But, one person came to her, took an interest in her business, and introduced her to the CEO of a company called "Leave a Next".

And when she made a presentation in front of him, he said,
"This is fun!, you can change the world."

These words gave her confidence. 

She realized she could change the world.

Through this encounter with him, she gained confidence and financial support to expand her business more and more.

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Meeting the right people, believing in them,  and involving them helps more than anything. You have to keep acting to meet new people and hear new ideas. Even if someone denies what you are doing, if you keep doing so, the opportunity comes to you, she said.

In fact, she said that she has never even thought about stopping in her work.

Sakai-san is changing the world.

As she hoped when she was a banker, she is running a business that is both profitable and good for society and the environment, and has achieved both business and social success. She is not working alone, she is working with farmers, local people, companies, and colleagues who share the same beliefs. They truly enjoy their work.

Her strong passion is what is surely changing the world.

Confidence is from interacting with others…

I always try to solve problems by myself.

However, I realized that even a brilliant person like Ms.Sakai says "I can only do what I do with the help of those around me", I should ask other people for help more and try to do my best.

I also found that confidence does not come without acting.

Her persuasiveness and passion are truly amazing, and I felt that I should not only envy her, but also continue to act and catch up with her.

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Let's ask for help, Help others.

Keep going!