Yabakei Farm, opening in July with 1,000 head, acquires "Midori Certification" from Oita Prefecture
Green Coop Cooperative announced that Yabakei Farm, scheduled to open in July 2026 with a capacity of 1,000 head, has acquired "Midori Certification" from Oita Prefecture. The farm will implement environmentally friendly dairy farming and a self-consumption solar power generation system, aiming to reduce greenhouse gases and promote circular dairy farming.
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- 📰 Published: April 30, 2026 at 01:00
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General Incorporated Association Green Coop Cooperative (Headquarters: Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Representative Director: Yoko Hidaka, hereinafter "Green Coop"), which consists of 16 consumer cooperatives mainly in Western Japan, announced that Yabakei Farm, scheduled to open in July 2026 with a capacity of 1,000 head, has acquired "Midori Certification" from Oita Prefecture.
Midori Certification is a certification system for farmers who work to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, based on the "Green Food System Law." It is a system that requires the creation of an implementation plan for environmental impact reduction business activities and certification from the prefectural governor, aiming for the sustainable development of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and the food industry, as well as the sound economic development with less environmental burden.
Yabakei Farm under construction
■ Environmentally friendly dairy farming at Yabakei Farm
Yabakei Farm is committed to environmental consideration and greenhouse gas (methane gas) reduction. We are promoting the introduction of livestock manure treatment machinery (aerobic fermentation treatment machinery) that requires less greenhouse gas emissions, is labor-saving, and has high processing capacity, achieving both greenhouse gas reduction and operational efficiency, and aiming to expand sales channels for the produced compost. By applying for these goals, the environmental impact reduction business activity implementation plan has been certified.
Yabakei Farm is scheduled to open its dairy farm in July, and will appropriately process approximately 13,000 tons of livestock manure annually, and also appropriately apply fertilizer components and methods in accordance with fertilization standards and soil diagnostic results.
Yabakei Farm (5174-19 Kanayoshi, Yabakei-machi, Nakatsu City, Oita Prefecture)
https://milk.greencoop.or.jp/yabakeifarm/
■ Green Coop's symbiotic and circular dairy farming project
Green Coop is engaged in symbiotic and circular dairy farming. "Yabakei Farm," "Green Coop TMR Center," and "Green Coop Milk" are connected to promote circular dairy farming. For example, compost produced at Yabakei Farm is used to grow forage grass, which is then processed into feed at the TMR Center. Cows eat this feed to produce milk. The milk is then bottled at the Green Coop Milk factory and delivered to consumers (members) as milk, and the bottles are also collected and recycled.
■ Installation of self-consumption solar power generation system
Yabakei Farm is equipped with a self-consumption solar power generation system, which is an "On-site PPA Green Citizen Power Plant" promoted as part of Green Coop's carbon neutral initiative. The PV panels installed on the roofs of the adult cow barn, milking cow barn, and dry cow barn have a total large capacity of 1066kW, and are expected to generate 1.15 million kW of renewable electricity annually, with an anticipated CO2 reduction effect of approximately 498 tons (*1). This emission reduction is equivalent to the amount absorbed by approximately 57 hectares (about 12 Tokyo Domes) of forest in one year (*2), contributing to decarbonization and environmental conservation.
In addition, the insulation effect of the PV panels installed on the roof contributes to creating a better environment for the cow barns. All electricity generated will be consumed at Yabakei Farm, covering approximately 32% of the total electricity consumption. The insufficient electricity will be supplied through power lines from Green Coop Denki's "CO2 Zero Emission Plan" (*3), so Yabakei Farm is expected to have zero CO2 emissions from electricity. Furthermore, all or part of the construction costs for the "On-site PPA Green Citizen Power Plant" (*4) are covered by green power investment funds contributed by members.
*1 Calculated based on the national average coefficient for FY2023 performance announced by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
*2 Calculated based on the Ministry of the Environment and Forestry Agency's indicators (36-40 year old sugi artificial forest).
*3 Green Coop Denki consists of non-FIT non-fossil electricity and FIT electricity that do not emit CO2 during power generation. However, under the Act on Promotion of Global Warming Countermeasures, it is considered electricity produced with CO2 emissions during its generation in Japan. By allocating non-fossil certificates to this, it is sold as "virtually CO2 zero emission" electricity.
*4 A self-consumption solar power plant installed on the roofs of Green Coop-related facilities by Green Coop Denki (General Incorporated Association) as a power generation business. The renewable electricity with environmental value generated is sold to the consuming facility.
・Green Coop TMR Center "Dairy Cattle Feed Production Base"
https://milk.greencoop.or.jp/tmrcenter/
・Green Coop Milk "Bottled Milk Factory"
https://milk.greencoop.or.jp/greencoopmilk/
・Green Coop's Direct-from-Farm Bottled Milk: Symbiotic and Circular Dairy Farming Project
https://milk.greencoop.or.jp/
■ Reference materials
"Green Coop Milk 1st Anniversary of Opening
Midori Certification is a certification system for farmers who work to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, based on the "Green Food System Law." It is a system that requires the creation of an implementation plan for environmental impact reduction business activities and certification from the prefectural governor, aiming for the sustainable development of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and the food industry, as well as the sound economic development with less environmental burden.
Yabakei Farm under construction
■ Environmentally friendly dairy farming at Yabakei Farm
Yabakei Farm is committed to environmental consideration and greenhouse gas (methane gas) reduction. We are promoting the introduction of livestock manure treatment machinery (aerobic fermentation treatment machinery) that requires less greenhouse gas emissions, is labor-saving, and has high processing capacity, achieving both greenhouse gas reduction and operational efficiency, and aiming to expand sales channels for the produced compost. By applying for these goals, the environmental impact reduction business activity implementation plan has been certified.
Yabakei Farm is scheduled to open its dairy farm in July, and will appropriately process approximately 13,000 tons of livestock manure annually, and also appropriately apply fertilizer components and methods in accordance with fertilization standards and soil diagnostic results.
Yabakei Farm (5174-19 Kanayoshi, Yabakei-machi, Nakatsu City, Oita Prefecture)
https://milk.greencoop.or.jp/yabakeifarm/
■ Green Coop's symbiotic and circular dairy farming project
Green Coop is engaged in symbiotic and circular dairy farming. "Yabakei Farm," "Green Coop TMR Center," and "Green Coop Milk" are connected to promote circular dairy farming. For example, compost produced at Yabakei Farm is used to grow forage grass, which is then processed into feed at the TMR Center. Cows eat this feed to produce milk. The milk is then bottled at the Green Coop Milk factory and delivered to consumers (members) as milk, and the bottles are also collected and recycled.
■ Installation of self-consumption solar power generation system
Yabakei Farm is equipped with a self-consumption solar power generation system, which is an "On-site PPA Green Citizen Power Plant" promoted as part of Green Coop's carbon neutral initiative. The PV panels installed on the roofs of the adult cow barn, milking cow barn, and dry cow barn have a total large capacity of 1066kW, and are expected to generate 1.15 million kW of renewable electricity annually, with an anticipated CO2 reduction effect of approximately 498 tons (*1). This emission reduction is equivalent to the amount absorbed by approximately 57 hectares (about 12 Tokyo Domes) of forest in one year (*2), contributing to decarbonization and environmental conservation.
In addition, the insulation effect of the PV panels installed on the roof contributes to creating a better environment for the cow barns. All electricity generated will be consumed at Yabakei Farm, covering approximately 32% of the total electricity consumption. The insufficient electricity will be supplied through power lines from Green Coop Denki's "CO2 Zero Emission Plan" (*3), so Yabakei Farm is expected to have zero CO2 emissions from electricity. Furthermore, all or part of the construction costs for the "On-site PPA Green Citizen Power Plant" (*4) are covered by green power investment funds contributed by members.
*1 Calculated based on the national average coefficient for FY2023 performance announced by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
*2 Calculated based on the Ministry of the Environment and Forestry Agency's indicators (36-40 year old sugi artificial forest).
*3 Green Coop Denki consists of non-FIT non-fossil electricity and FIT electricity that do not emit CO2 during power generation. However, under the Act on Promotion of Global Warming Countermeasures, it is considered electricity produced with CO2 emissions during its generation in Japan. By allocating non-fossil certificates to this, it is sold as "virtually CO2 zero emission" electricity.
*4 A self-consumption solar power plant installed on the roofs of Green Coop-related facilities by Green Coop Denki (General Incorporated Association) as a power generation business. The renewable electricity with environmental value generated is sold to the consuming facility.
・Green Coop TMR Center "Dairy Cattle Feed Production Base"
https://milk.greencoop.or.jp/tmrcenter/
・Green Coop Milk "Bottled Milk Factory"
https://milk.greencoop.or.jp/greencoopmilk/
・Green Coop's Direct-from-Farm Bottled Milk: Symbiotic and Circular Dairy Farming Project
https://milk.greencoop.or.jp/
■ Reference materials
"Green Coop Milk 1st Anniversary of Opening