Okayama initiatives promote vegetable consumption and food drives

In Okayama Prefecture, various initiatives are underway to promote vegetable consumption and support local food security.

Students from the Faculty of Food Culture at Kurashiki Sakuyo University have collaborated with Ajinomoto, JA Zen-Noh, and Tenmaya Store to develop seasonal recipes. The goal is to address vegetable deficiencies among residents. The project includes a recipe collection featuring five menus designed to make eating various vegetables easy and nutritious, such as eggplant cold udon and eggplant and tomato doria. These recipes will be distributed at Tenmaya Store locations.

Separately, a local food drive initiative has seen increased support through the donation of fresh produce. Teruo Sogo, a local farmer, has been contributing non-standard vegetables like eggplant, tomatoes, and cucumbers to the drive. While food drives often consist of long-shelf-life items like retort foods, organizers noted that the addition of fresh, nutritious vegetables is highly valued by recipients.