Second Harvest Japan Accelerates Efforts to Build a Food Safety Net Following Enforcement of the Food Bank Certification System
Second Harvest Japan welcomes the April 2026 enforcement of the Food Bank Certification System and vows to accelerate efforts to build a national food safety net by promoting corporate food donations.
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- 📰 Published: April 6, 2026 at 22:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 6, 2026 at 13:30
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 03:31 (350h 0m after Collected)
Certified NPO Second Harvest Japan (hereinafter "2HJ" / https://2hj.org/), in response to the enforcement of the Food Bank Certification System on April 1, 2026, will further accelerate its efforts to build a food safety net to realize its mission of "Food for all."
Based on the "Food Donation Guidelines - Toward Improving the Reliability of Food Donations" established in 2024, this system allows the Consumer Affairs Agency to certify food bank organizations that meet the guideline's compliance requirements. The purpose is to promote food donations by visualizing reliable donation recipients for food companies and others. Until now, voices from the corporate side have often been heard saying, "There are many food bank organizations, but we are anxious about whether the food is managed properly." With the introduction of this system, it is expected that the hurdles to food donation will be lowered, leading not only to an increase in the volume of donated food but also to further improvement and expansion in its quality.
Food bank activities in Japan have developed as civic activities. Since 2HJ began operating as Japan's first food bank in 2000, the number of organizations has increased to over 300 in recent years. On the other hand, the activities and structures of each organization vary, making the improvement of reliability across the industry a challenge.
Under these circumstances, 2HJ has consistently advocated for the importance of strengthening the operational foundation of food banks during discussions related to the "Act on Promotion of Food Loss and Waste Reduction." We consider the enforcement of this certification system, following the formulation of the food donation guidelines in 2024, to be a major step forward for the industry.
2HJ will aim to obtain this certification while cooperating with the Japan Food Bank Federation to promote the system and improve the overall reliability of the industry. This system does not require all organizations to obtain certification uniformly; rather, it is a framework that supports the development of each organization according to its scale and type of activity. It is important for organizations of varying sizes and regional characteristics to develop while complementing each other. For example, by smoothly delivering food received by organizations handling wide-area distribution to community-based organizations, sufficient food can ultimately reach those in need. Furthermore, we believe this certification system is not complete upon its enforcement. It is essential to continuously improve and develop it through public-private collaboration, taking into account the realities and challenges on the ground.
Regarding the enforcement of this Food Bank Certification System, Yuji Shibata, CEO of Second Harvest Japan, stated the following:
"Currently, due to the impact of soaring prices, the need for food assistance is increasing. In order to stably deliver more food, expanding food donations alongside strengthening the reception systems of food banks is indispensable. We expect that, taking this certification system as an opportunity, collaboration among businesses, government, and citizens will further accelerate efforts to build a food safety net in Japan."
2HJ will continue to further promote collaboration with diverse stakeholders, including the public and private sectors, to build a food safety net where anyone can safely receive sufficient, nutritious food whenever they need it, regardless of whether in times of peace or emergency.
Based on the "Food Donation Guidelines - Toward Improving the Reliability of Food Donations" established in 2024, this system allows the Consumer Affairs Agency to certify food bank organizations that meet the guideline's compliance requirements. The purpose is to promote food donations by visualizing reliable donation recipients for food companies and others. Until now, voices from the corporate side have often been heard saying, "There are many food bank organizations, but we are anxious about whether the food is managed properly." With the introduction of this system, it is expected that the hurdles to food donation will be lowered, leading not only to an increase in the volume of donated food but also to further improvement and expansion in its quality.
Food bank activities in Japan have developed as civic activities. Since 2HJ began operating as Japan's first food bank in 2000, the number of organizations has increased to over 300 in recent years. On the other hand, the activities and structures of each organization vary, making the improvement of reliability across the industry a challenge.
Under these circumstances, 2HJ has consistently advocated for the importance of strengthening the operational foundation of food banks during discussions related to the "Act on Promotion of Food Loss and Waste Reduction." We consider the enforcement of this certification system, following the formulation of the food donation guidelines in 2024, to be a major step forward for the industry.
2HJ will aim to obtain this certification while cooperating with the Japan Food Bank Federation to promote the system and improve the overall reliability of the industry. This system does not require all organizations to obtain certification uniformly; rather, it is a framework that supports the development of each organization according to its scale and type of activity. It is important for organizations of varying sizes and regional characteristics to develop while complementing each other. For example, by smoothly delivering food received by organizations handling wide-area distribution to community-based organizations, sufficient food can ultimately reach those in need. Furthermore, we believe this certification system is not complete upon its enforcement. It is essential to continuously improve and develop it through public-private collaboration, taking into account the realities and challenges on the ground.
Regarding the enforcement of this Food Bank Certification System, Yuji Shibata, CEO of Second Harvest Japan, stated the following:
"Currently, due to the impact of soaring prices, the need for food assistance is increasing. In order to stably deliver more food, expanding food donations alongside strengthening the reception systems of food banks is indispensable. We expect that, taking this certification system as an opportunity, collaboration among businesses, government, and citizens will further accelerate efforts to build a food safety net in Japan."
2HJ will continue to further promote collaboration with diverse stakeholders, including the public and private sectors, to build a food safety net where anyone can safely receive sufficient, nutritious food whenever they need it, regardless of whether in times of peace or emergency.