Morinaga Milk Co-Hosts Tree-Planting Festival in Saroma, Hokkaido to Promote Watershed Conservation

Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd. is participating in tree-planting initiatives aimed at promoting water resource conservation and community co-existence through watershed conservation in Saroma Town, Hokkaido. As part of this effort, the company co-hosted the 'Saroma Town Tree-Planting Festival' on June 11.

Morinaga Milk strives to realize sustainable management, centered on its 'Sustainability Mid-to-Long Term Plan 2030,' to ensure the well-being of all stakeholders. Within the theme of 'Resources and Environment,' the company views water resources as essential assets and actively promotes their conservation.

Saroma Town features thriving dairy and fisheries industries that rely on stable water resources. In March 2025, Morinaga Milk’s Saroma Factory concluded a 'Partnership Agreement on Securing Water Resources' with the town, advancing initiatives to reduce consumption and enhance water conservation and drainage treatment. This tree-planting initiative aims to contribute to watershed conservation by restoring forest areas on a former town-owned ranch upstream of the Saroma factory, thereby stabilizing water flow, improving water quality, and enhancing the water environment of Lake Saroma.

At the tree-planting event on June 11, attendees included Chihiro Onuma, General Manager of Production at Morinaga Milk, and Tomotomo Takeda, Mayor of Saroma Town. Alongside approximately 100 participants, including town residents and students from Saroma Elementary and Wasa Elementary, 1,000 Japanese oak (mizunara) and 100 Sargent's cherry (ezoyamazakura) seedlings were planted.

Moving forward, Morinaga Milk plans to use these activities as a foundation for water resource conservation strategies and is considering expanding them to other production facilities nationwide based on the Saroma model.