Since 2007, Mitsui & Co. has been working together with the Asaza Fund (NPO) on the "Yatsuda Regeneration Project," a project for regenerating deteriorated yatsuda paddies (a rice paddy in the valley of a low, hilly area) in Ushiku City, Ibaraki Prefecture, by growing agrochemical-free rice, and through other activities. Employees from Mitsui and its group companies, together with their families, participate in this year-long program, in which rice planting, weeding, and harvesting are done by hand, and the collected agrochemical-free rice is used to brew sake. At the same time as growing rice, Mitsui also conducts biological studies of the area. The program is designed to help revive the ecosystem of the yatsuda, including insects like fireflies, and give participants the chance to experience the cycle of nature, firsthand.

Yatsuda Regeneration Project

Mitsui & Co. (Colombia) is working together with Toyota to plant trees in the Encenillo Biological Reserve, located in La Trinidad, a village in Guasca, Cundinamarca Department, close to Bogota, and covers an area of approximately 206 hectares. The reserve was established in 2007 to protect the local ecosystem and is now home to plants (mosses, lichens, ferns, and trees) and animals (armadillos, Páramo foxes, and over 78 species of bird). The Natura Colombia Foundation is responsible for the preservation and protection of this area and has greatly contributed to the conservation of Colombia's biodiversity for 40 years. To contribute to the restoration and conservation of this ecosystem, and with the long-term aim of mitigating climate change, Mitsui & Co. (Colombia) donated 3,462 native trees including, prunus annularis and laurel for planting on 0.56 hectares of land, with 24 people from Mitsui & Co. (Colombia) participating in the tree planting activities on August 2023. A monument was placed in the reserve to commemorate these activities and Mitsui & Co. (Colombia)'s contribution to environmental conservation.

Mitsui Australia participates in a National Tree Day event promoted by Planet Ark as part of its initiatives to contribute to environmental protection. Mitsui Australia's branch and Group company employees have participated in this event together with their families every year since 2015. As many as 300,000 volunteers participate in tree-planting on National Tree Day, and approximately 27 million trees have been planted since the launch of the campaign in 1996. Australia is highly advanced with its ESG initiatives, and Mitsui Australia places a high level of importance in employee contribution initiatives, including in the area of environmental protection, and will continue to proactively contribute to a bright future for its host country Australia.