Seikatsu Club Consumers’ Co-operative Union (SCCCU) February 2015

� The Sekatsu Club (SC) was born in a town in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo in 1965.

� The Seikatsu Club Consumers’ Co-operative Union (SCCCU, a federation of Seikatsu Clubs in different parts of Japan) was launched in 1990.

� 32 member co-operatives represent a total of 341,000 households

� Annual turnover: 82.3 billion yen (USD823 million),

� Accumulated members’ shares: 37 billion yen (USD 370 million)

Tokyo

�SCCCU has been working to solve social problems by organizing its members through collective purchase.

�SCCCU understands that the fundamental problems of food and agriculture derive from the division between food consumption and agricultural production. Through collaboration between consumers and producers, SCCCU has been working on revitalizing local farming and improving the food self-sufficiency rate.

� Right Livelihood Award, Honorary Recipient (1989): SCCCU was presented this award as a result of its contribution to society and the environment, as a new economic system emphasizing democratic participation in management, a system of mutual assistance, a movement of empathy, and a movement led by ordinary housewives.

�We the People: 50 Communities Award (1995): The awards were part of a program in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations. SCCCU was chosen because of its “success in activities related to areas such as environment protection and sustainable development.”

� SCCCU sums up the orders from its members and buys products (we call them “consumer materials”) in bulk from producers.

� Three distribution systems � Delivery for groups

(30% of members) � Individual delivery

(55%) � Small scale shops

(15%)

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Order

Delivery

Pre-order Collective Purchase

� Creating self-sufficiency in “FEC” (Food, Energy, Care) in every area of every SC

� SC members’ engagement in FEC creates jobs in each area.

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Food

Care

Energy Circulation

work

� SCCCU fights against social and environmental destruction caused by the globalization of people, goods and money led by transnational corporations and finance.

� SCCCU preserves sustainable society and the environment by working on the circulation of “FEC” based on citizens’ “participation” in activities and labor.

Food

Care

Energy Circulation

at the center of “FEC”

1. We stick to food safety. We work hard on food safety by minimizing chemicals such as food additives and pesticides throughout the food chain from production to the disposal of packages. We have comprehensive radiation detection. We disclose information on radiation risks to human heath and the environment.

2. We care for a healthy diet. We appreciate lives in nature when we eat them for our energy for tomorrow. We share our knowledge about nutritional values of raw materials, and methods of cooking and how to eat them. We share our ideas about our food together.

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Food

Care

Energy

3. We work to increase food self-sufficiency. We promote farming, fishery and animal husbandry as "industry for life" and to increase the use of domestically grown raw materials and animal feed. Through solidarity among consumers and producers, we work to increase our capacity for food self-sufficiency, self-reliance for food, promotion of health, and preservation of the local environment.

4. We do not accept genetically modified crops. We do not accept genetically modified (GM) crops because they lead to corporate control over food and the destruction of biological diversity. We refuse to use GM food, feed and additives. If there is no option other but to use them, we disclose information on their use.

Food

Care

Energy

5. We aim for zero emission of toxic substances.

We minimize the emission of toxic substances which pose risks to human health and the environment. We will keep on working to eliminate all the toxic material in our supply chain.

6. We conserve natural resources. We use renewable natural resources, such as water, soil and forests in sustainable ways. We save unrenewable resources for future generations.

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Food

Care

Energy

7. We work for waste reduction. We work to reduce waste by resource saving, reuse and recycling. In addition, we choose safe and reliable methods for waste disposal.

8. We aim at a society free from nuclear reactors.

We proactively avoid wasting energy with a long-tem perspective. Consumers and producers work together for the safe and sustainable production and distribution of energy.

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Food

Care

Energy

9. We work to build a society where people help each other.

We work to create systems which enable people to enjoy childcare and nursing-care for senior citizens without any anxiety in their local community. We promote our activities to help each other, learn from each other, and support each other.

10. We decide and act by ourselves. Every member of the Seikatsu Club plays an important role in its activities. We disclose and share all information no matter how big or small. We think, decide and act by ourselves based on this information.

Food

Care

Energy

�A Fair Price for Food we Know the Origin of � “Producer Cost Guarantee” System

� The prices of goods are determined only after the disclosure of all information about the quality of products, production methods, packaging materials, storage and distribution, delivery costs, etc., through discussion and mutual approval.

� The “Producer Cost Guarantee” System ensures sustainable production based on the pre-order collective purchase where SC members and producers rely on each other.

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F

� Japanese food self-sufficiency rate (2013) � 39% (on a calorie basis) � 65% (on a value basis)

� Japanese self-sufficiency rate in grains (2011) � 28%

� By eating food from SCCCU, the self-sufficiency rate in food drastically increases.

Seikatsu Club: 81%

Japanese average: 37%

Case study: Japanese noodles with poached egg

and grated yam

Ingredients: dried bonito soup, soy sauce, buckwheat noodles, egg, green onion, yam, sweet cooking rice wine

F

� Japan is highly dependent on imported food and animal feed.

� Acreage of GM crops is growing worldwide, but gene technology is not a solution for sustainable farming because: � Its safety for human consumption is not well tested, � It poses risks to the environment, and � It leads to corporate control over seeds.

� SCCCU works to eliminate GM ingredients from its food chain.

� Commitment to the GMO-Free Zones Movement

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F

� Contract with a seed company in the United States to buy GMO-free corn

� Collaboration with farmers in Australia to keep the canola for our edible oil GMO-free

F

� The total number of items which may contain ingredients derived from GMOs and/or animal products which may be fed with GMOs: 1,413 � Eliminated all GM-crop ingredients and animal feed: 1,214 (A)

� May contain GM ingredients of less than 1% of a product by weight: 185 (B)

� May contain GM ingredients up to 1-5% of a product by weight: 14 (C)

� May contain GM ingredients of more than 5% of a product by weight: 0 (D)

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Total number of items which may contain ingredients derived from GMOs and/or animal products which may be fed with GMOs Total

(A) (B) (C) (D) Animal and dairy products 71 5 - - 76 Fishery products 157 14 - 171 Processed food from agricultural products

188 14 - - 202

Prepared food 361 69 5 - 435 Edible oil and seasonings 131 12 2 - 145 Beverage and alcoholic drinks 60 1 - - 61 Confectionary 242 70 7 - 319 Dietary supplements 4 - - - 4

Total 1,214 185 14 0 1,413

F

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F

substances

substances

Registered food additives in Japan

tons

Number of food additives SC accepts

Amount of food additives reduced by

SC in a year

Color formers, artificial sweeteners, antioxidants,

artificial colorings, synthetic seasonings *as of 2014

F Amount of reduced surfactant

tons

tons

SC uses original packages made

from additive-free plastic

Natural soaps in daily lives reduce the consumption

of toxic chemicals.

Amount of additive- free plastic

packages in a year

*as of 2014

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F Same

bottles

Bottles are

reused.

With like-minded consumers’ co-operatives, SCCCU has built a co-operative system of reusing glass bottles in order to abandon plastic bottles.

By using returnable bottles, SC reduces

annual CO2 emissions by

tons

tons

Reused or recycled bottles and packages

E

� Collective purchase movement to develop our “consumer materials” with our producers.

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F “Consumer Materials” Development Participated by SC Members A lot of SC members participate in product development to reflect their needs or improve existing products.

1. Decisions on the items and

members

• Based on the requests from SC members, potential items are decided on and a development team is appointed.

2. Dialogues with producers

• With reference to interviews and questionnaires with SC members and market researches, dialogues are held with producers.

3. Decision on standard for raw

materials

• After some trial and error while producers make samples of the products, standards for raw materials are decided on.

4. Visits to farms and/or factories

and decision about prices

• Production methods and procedures, packaging, and the amount of the contents are reviewed, and appropriate prices are decided.

5. Release of new items

�Networking activities with producers: 2,134 cases

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Ratified producers

Registered items

Audited Producers Audited items

Fruits and vegetables 82 972

19 19

Agricultural products (rice, soybeans)

7 30

0

0

Fishery products 32 365

2 2

Animal products 13 174

2 3

Processed food 136 1,577

25 28

Home products 24 300

3 3

Total 294 3,418 51

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“Mass  Independent  Audits”(in  2013) F

� Toward a Nuclear Free Society � It has been three and a half years since

the nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi. Once an accident occurs at a nuclear reactor, a large area will be affected by radiation.

� Autonomous Energy Supply � We are creating a system where

people can participate in an energy business by establishing “Seikatsu Club Energy.” We choose to be autonomous in energy supply instead of depending on the national government or big utility companies.

� Solar and Wind Power Plants � We will generate renewable

energy such as solar and wind power at facilities owned by SC and SC producers.

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E Distribution of “green energy” by Seikatsu Club Energy (image)

Demand and supply adjustment

SC produc

ers

Other organi-zations

wind solar

Seikatsu Club Energy Co., Ltd. Purchase of green electricity, adjustment

of supply and demand, supply to SC facilities

supply supply

SC mem-bers SC facilities,

producers Members

(in the future)

supply

electricity

electric power

companies, market

� Wind power � rated capacity � 1,990kW

� Solar power � Total installed

capacity � 1,454.89kW

E

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C

Home care

Transport-ation

Catering

Child care

Support for

home care

Special nursing home

for the aged

Short stay

Sales and

rental of nursing

care products

SC Care services which cover members’ entire life

Home care,

comprehensive support

C

Business Categories Number of business entities

Number of members

Number of registered users

Turnover (thousand yen)

1. Home care 141 5,491 8,571 2,992,258

2. Home care covered by Services and Supports for Persons with Disabilities Act 95 3,473 3,755 926,013

3. Support for home care 71 419 7,532 1,062,620

4. Day care services 72 1,728 3,130 2,348,637

5. Short stay 5 54 355 427,907

6. Special nursing home for the aged 4 228 231 1,140,168

7. Group home 4 71 69 283,990

8. Housing 17 345 471 644,526

9. Catering 52 813 4,502 1,135,607

10. Transportation 39 585 4,936 170,473

11. Home care, comprehensive support 6 29 189 113,688

12. Home visit nursing 6 48 204 120,387

13. Sales and rental of nursing care product 7 57 0 570,758

14. Childcare 95 1,454 18,764 926,426

15. Small scale day care center 22 166 5,385 37,292

16. Others 78 1,202 6,588 929,600

Total 714 16,163 64,682 13,830,350

� In 1982, the first workers' collective in Japan was born for a co-operative style of working.

� People are not employed by a company, but they invest money, manage, and run the operation by themselves, and enrich their neighborhood.

� Circulation within local economy by businesses based on local needs � 358 organizations � Total annual turnover: 11.3 billion yen � Total accumulated members’ shares: 513.4 million yen � 9,318 employments (as of 2011)

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� Movement to build autonomous communities

� Rejection of blind trust in conventional politicians

� Sending citizens’ representatives to local assemblies

� Limited to three terms (to avoid becoming a “professional” politicians)

� Election campaigns based on volunteers and donations

� Number of members of local assemblies (August 2014) � 102 representatives � In 67 local assemblies � In 6 prefectures

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