The Problem
Most of Japan’s farmland is intensively cultivated. Japanese farmers over-fertilise their lands and the amount of pesticides used in Japan are also one of the highest in the world. Such aggressive practises not only have harmful effects on land and water, but also the farmers themselves. If we imagine fertile lands to be a storehouse of nutrition, this reservoir is slowly being eroded without proper replenishment.
In addition to this, Japan faces a severe crisis in plastic recycling. Every year, 30 kg of plastic packaging is used per person in Japan. 58% of this average consumption goes into incineration together with other household waste. And out of the household waste that is generated, one third by weight is biowaste. This could be returned to the soil as nutrients but is instead burnt which further contributes to global warming. In fact, waste incinerators emit a fifth of all the CO2 in the country.
Our Solution
We see all resources (including waste) as nutrients for something new. We are in pursuit of a consistent circular economy, where products and their raw materials never stop sustaining one another. By connecting the countryside with the city population through nutrient exchanges, we want to form resilient communities that represent “nutrient islands“ on which there is no waste – only nutrients that circulate continuously.
土帰 doki partners with local organic farmers to offer a vegetable box called dokidoki Veggie Box that allows consumers to be part of a local nutrient cycle. We are building a regional full supply of organic seasonal vegetables and fruits, recipes and extras, such as tea and rice, and combine this with a biowaste recycling and nutrient return programme. We pick up your kitchen waste, compost it to feed the soil and use it as nutrition for new, healthy, delicious vegetables. All plastic-free!
Behind the details lies the simple principle that you must put back at least as much as you take.
– Guy Singh Watson (founder of Riverford)
Do you know what our name 土帰doki means?
The character 土 means soil, earth or ground. It can be pronounced „ tsuchi“ or „do“, same as in „Doyoubi (土曜日)“ which means Saturday, or literally „Soil Day“. 帰, meaning homecoming or return, is pronounced as „kae“ or „ki“, for instance in „Kirai (帰来)“ which means returning.
土 + 帰 = doki
Reading „土帰 doki“, you can find another meaning in the name: „Dokidoki“ is the onomatopoeic Japanese word for heartbeat. The heartbeat is a sign of life. And that’s what we are aiming for:
A Living Earth
Impact area (SDGs)
SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Use natural resources efficiently and manage them sustainably
CLIMATE ACTION
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
LIFE BELOW WATER
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources
Healthy oceans sustain life and promote prosperity
LIFE ON LAND
Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification,halt and reserve land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss
Protecting biodiversityprotects lives and livelihoods