FOOD

Farm Fresh

A new Club service is bringing the organic fruits of Japanese farmers’ labor direct to the kitchens of Members.

WORDS JOAN BAILEY

When the Club launched its Farm Box service last month, Member Chris Bond saw nothing but upside. Not only would it mean regular deliveries of organic fruit and vegetables to his door, but the New Zealander could support local farmers as well.

“I have noticed that the variety of organic produce in supermarkets is increasing,” he says. “However, in the case of Japan, I find much of the product is sourced overseas compared to my home country.”

It was this dearth of locally farmed, organic food that inspired Member Simon Grunberger to start Ecoloupe, a Tokyo-based organization that connects organic growers and producers with consumers, last year.

Originally from Belgium, Grunberger now works with around 20 producers scattered across Japan. He visits each one to see their operation and sample their wares before having each item tested at an independent lab in Tokyo. Transparency and traceability are central to the Ecoloupe model.

Farm Box subscribers receive a curated selection of seasonal produce either weekly or biweekly. Grunberger says he aims to complement staples like potatoes, onions and tomatoes with organic goods from Europe while he expands Ecoloupe’s roster of farmers, bakers, beekeepers and orchardists.

Services like Farm Box can mean the difference between success and failure for organic producers. According to a 2019 Japanese government report, of the country’s roughly 12,000 organic farmers, only 4,000 hold the Organic Japanese Agriculture Standard (JAS) certification.

For many farmers, including Ecoloupe’s partners, the standards aren’t comprehensive enough, making the lengthy and expensive certification process unappealing. But without the crop insurance and distribution schemes that come with certification, stability can prove elusive.

“The boxes and Ecoloupe will be a bridge between people and farmers, the guardians of our soil,” says Grunberger. “Those farmers need to be protected. The Ecoloupe label allows me to help those farmers and practice fair trade with them while offering consumers full transparency. If we help the farmers, we help the environment.”

The idea resonated with Member Elizabeth Coll when it was first presented last year. With the Club’s event and meeting business hit hard by the pandemic, a task force of volunteers was put together to seek out promising initiatives.

“You could see this idea made sense to people and really fit the time,” Coll says. “Everyone was ordering food, and Simon’s passion for organic farming and sustainability make him a great partner.”

The American, who helped to organize the service after it was approved by the Board of Governors, says it is much more than a business arrangement.

“The [Farm Box] program isn’t just a deal or partnership,” Coll says. “It’s a collaboration that grew out of community.”

That collaboration is already bearing fruit for Members like Bond, who received his first box last month.

“It was a good quantity and included some vegetables and grains that cannot be bought in supermarkets,” he says. “I am very happy with the service so far.”

FARM BOX  ¥4,000 a week (plus delivery)  Sign up online