Tohoku University, Tokyo University of Agriculture, and Each Other Launch Joint Research Project: Pilot Study of 'Cover Cropping' in Ishinomaki Hop Fields

Towards a Society Where Nature and People Flourish

Each Other (Headquarters: Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture; CEO: Yuka Takahashi), which has supported the social participation of individuals facing employment difficulties through beer brewing, sales, and hop-based product development, has entered into a joint research agreement with Tohoku University and the Tokyo University of Agriculture. In May 2026, the company began a pilot study of 'cover cropping,' an environmentally friendly farming method, at hop fields in Kitakami-cho, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture.

This project utilizes hop fields managed by Ishinomaki Farm, a partner organization operating as a social farm where individuals from diverse backgrounds engage in agricultural work. It is a CSV (Creating Shared Value) project that simultaneously pursues environmental value—such as biodiversity conservation, pest reduction, and soil improvement—and economic value—by increasing the added value of related products such as the hop craft beer 'Maki-Kaze Ale.' Ultimately, the project aims to develop Kitakami-cho, Ishinomaki, into a hub for nature-positive agriculture, demonstrating a new model for 'People × Regional Economy × Nature' that can be expanded from the Tohoku/Sanriku region to the rest of Japan.

Overview of the Joint Research

- Research Topic: Biodiversity-Preserving Agriculture through Cover Cropping in Ishinomaki Hop Fields - Contract Period: May 15, 2026 – March 31, 2028 - Location: Ishinomaki Farm Hop Fields, Shirahama, Jusanhama, Kitakami-cho, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture - Research Lead: Masayuki Kawata (Specially Appointed Professor, Institute for Excellence in Higher Education, Tohoku University) - Biodiversity Survey Lead: Yoshinobu Kusumoto (Professor, Faculty of Regional Environment Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture) - Project Promotion Lead: Yuka Takahashi (CEO, Each Other) - Cooperating Organization: Ishinomaki Farm

Background: Why 'Cover Cropping × Hops × Social Farm'?

1. The Global Trend of 'Nature Positive' Following the international agreement at COP15 in 2021 to 'reverse and restore biodiversity loss by 2030,' Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is advancing the 'Strategy for Sustainable Food Systems.' The 'MIDORI BOOST' plan is scheduled for release, requiring minimal environmental load-reduction efforts in all subsidy projects starting in fiscal year 2027. Rather than simply adopting national targets like reducing chemical pesticide use by 50% and increasing organic farming land to 25% (both by 2050), it is necessary to respond appropriately at a regional level for sustainable agriculture and economy.

2. Ishinomaki City's 'Organic Village Declaration' and Post-Disaster Reconstruction Farmland Ishinomaki City launched its 'Organic Village Declaration' in February 2026, centering regional development on organic and environmentally friendly agriculture. The pilot site in Shirahama, Kitakami-cho, is a symbolic location where hop production began after repurposing abandoned farmland affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. Conducting these experiments here has significant meaning from the perspective of post-disaster recovery and regional revitalization.

3. The Social Farm as a Workplace for Employment Support With an estimated 15 million people in Japan facing employment difficulties, social isolation is a serious issue. Each Other/Ishinomaki Farm has created impact-driven employment for individuals with diverse backgrounds—including disabilities, social withdrawal, and those leaving institutional care—by providing a place where they can work normally in agriculture, packaging, and shipping. The cover cropping field is not only a place for increasing biodiversity but also a place for nurturing human diversity.

What is 'Cover Cropping'? At Ishinomaki Farm's hop fields, the following characteristics of cover cropping will be implemented:

(1) Instead of leaving spaces between ridges bare, native herbaceous plants and barley are maintained to improve soil (prevent erosion, increase organic matter and carbon, maintain moisture, stabilize soil temperature). (2) Planting sorghum to provide habitats for beneficial insects, combined with Integrated Pest Management (IPM), aims to reduce pest prevalence. (3) Transplanting regional native herbs to surrounding grasslands aims to preserve biodiversity by recovering indigenous plant flora.

Through these methods, the project aims to reduce dependence on chemical pesticides and fertilizers, enhance biodiversity, lower production costs, and maintain productivity.