i-TV x TOMUSHI Launch Business Utilizing Rhinoceros Beetles for Decarbonization and Regional Resource Circulation - Selected for Ehime Prefecture's FY2026 Zero Carbon Business Model Creation Project

i-TV Co., Ltd. (Location: Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, President: Kazunori Sano) has partnered with TOMUSHI Co., Ltd. (Location: Odate City, Akita Prefecture, President: Yosuke Ishida) to launch a new business that realizes decarbonization and regional resource circulation centered on rhinoceros beetles. This project will monetize through the sale of rhinoceros beetles, etc., while contributing to decarbonization, soil improvement, and waste reduction by utilizing unused organic resources as feed for rhinoceros beetles.

This fiscal year, the project has been selected for the "FY2026 Ehime Prefecture Zero Carbon Business Model Creation Project," and demonstration projects will be advanced using the budget for this initiative. The unused organic resources targeted in this project are spent mushroom substrate and citrus waste. Waste will be purchased from corporations and farmers within the prefecture and used as feed for rhinoceros beetles.

Next fiscal year, i-TV and TOMUSHI plan to further expand production and promote the business model.

Regarding the FY2026 Ehime Prefecture Zero Carbon Business Model Creation Project

This project is being implemented as part of Ehime Prefecture's initiative to achieve "net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050." It aims to foster a mindset that views decarbonization not as a mere cost or burden, but as a new opportunity, creating models that lead to profits and new business development. Furthermore, by promoting the excellent models created, it aims to accelerate regional decarbonization, raise awareness among companies in the prefecture regarding decarbonization, and promote related initiatives.

This fiscal year, we will focus on "business model planning," "implementation of demonstration projects and trial services," and "effect verification" within the project period, and then work on designing a business model and promotion plan for full-scale implementation from next fiscal year onwards.

Implementation Overview of This Project

We will proceed with the project focusing on the following initiatives:

1. Acquisition of TOMUSHI Co., Ltd.'s technology and know-how

2. Development of suppliers for spent mushroom substrate and citrus waste

3. Selection of rhinoceros beetle production sites

4. Rearing of rhinoceros beetles utilizing the waste from "2."

5. Development of this business model and planning of promotion strategies

6. Public relations and PR for this project

Reference Materials

i-TV Co., Ltd. https://www.itv6.jp/

With the corporate motto "To become a broadcaster with a reason for being," i-TV strives to create a society where people can feel dreams and hope through the dissemination of useful information to the local community, events, performances, and non-broadcasting businesses.

Having declared "Deco-katsu" (a national movement to create a new, affluent lifestyle connected to decarbonization) promoted by the Ministry of the Environment in 2025, we are working to raise environmental awareness in the region through broadcasting and non-broadcasting businesses.

Furthermore, starting in January 2026, we will launch the project "itv Blue Series," which co-creates and creates the future of Ehime with the theme of "diverse blues" that breathe life into the region, and we are developing various plans with diverse partners in four business domains.

itv Blue Series Official Website https://www.itv6.jp/blue_series/

TOMUSHI Co., Ltd. https://www.tomushi.com/

TOMUSHI's business activities center on creating an eco-friendly cycle by processing organic waste using insects (especially rhinoceros beetles) and effectively utilizing these unused resources. Specifically, we have created a system that converts waste into resources by having rhinoceros beetles consume organic waste such as spent mushroom substrate, agricultural residues, and food scraps. The rhinoceros beetles that grow from this process are then utilized as feed for livestock and aquaculture, as raw materials for pharmaceuticals and nutritional supplements, and as live pets for ornamental purposes. Furthermore, by utilizing by-products such as the feces of the rhinoceros beetles generated from this process as fertilizer for agriculture, we have achieved a highly advanced and direct circulation.