Many Life-Saving Children's Cafeterias Are in Danger of Survival Due to Soaring Prices Aiming to Operate without Relying on Aid, Growing Only Makomos, a High Quality Food 　～Makomo-only harvesting event to be held in Tondabayashi City on October 12

2024.09.27 10:15

株式会社AquaFolia

AquaFolia Corporation (Head office: Hirakata City, Osaka; Representative: Sachiyo Hiratani), a cafe and culture school operator, will hold a harvest event on Saturday, October 12, 2024 in Tondabayashi City, Osaka Prefecture, where the autumn seasonal vegetable "Makomodake" is grown, to mark its harvest season. The event will be held on Saturday, October 12, 2024, in Tondabayashi City, Osaka Prefecture.

Harvesting Makomodake

Children's cafeterias, a lifeline for children, are in a critical situation nationwide.

Many children's cafeterias are in crisis. This is due to the rising cost of foodstuffs in the wake of skyrocketing prices. With school lunches being the lifeline for one in nine children in a class, children's cafeterias have become a place of relief for children who cannot afford to eat enough food due to poverty and other reasons.

As of February 2024, the number of children's cafeterias had increased to 9,132 nationwide, with a total of 15.84 million people using them, of which about 10.91 million are children. The number of organizations that have been unable to provide the meals necessary for children's growth as in the past due to the significant impact of rising prices has forced an increasing number of organizations to reduce the frequency of events and review the content of the meals.

Makomo Cultivated Products are Used to Pay for Children's Food

AquaFolia Co., Ltd. is growing makomono to support food expenses for a children's cafeteria that will start this winter. Makomo is a perennial plant of the grass family that originally grows naturally near water. In recent years, it has attracted attention as a superfood, and more and more farmers are cultivating it. Makomomo, which is produced at the base of the makomomo leaf, is rarely seen in supermarkets because it loses its freshness quickly, and is sold at roadside stations and directly to farmers as a luxury food.

The representative and volunteer members cultivate the plants, and the proceeds from Makomo-only, Makomo-tea made from Makomo-leaves, and shimenawa made from Makomo-leaves are used to pay for food for the children's cafeteria, with the exception of some expenses. Last year, the yield of Makomo alone was about 50 kilograms, and sales amounted to about 170,000 yen. This year, we expect sales to reach approximately 500,000 yen, as we have devised ways to increase profits and have prepared a production system for Makomo-cha (Makomo tea).

Makomo-Dake

Aiming to operate a children's cafeteria that does not rely solely on support].

AquaFolia Inc. aims to operate a children's cafeteria using pesticide-free and additive-free ingredients five days a week. We signed a contract for the property in August last year and started crowdfunding in October under the name of "Pukupuku Project" and have received approximately 2.6 million yen in support through December. Renovation work started in December last year, but due to construction delays and rising construction costs, we had to revise our plans several times before finally opening the café in June of this year, which will serve as the setting for the children's cafeteria. In view of the social background that some children are unable to eat during long vacations, we are now preparing to start operation of the children's cafeteria in time for the winter vacation this year.

The representative commented, "While many children's cafeterias are held once a month or at most once a week, there is a clear need for a children's cafeteria five days a week for children and their parents. We are working to create a system that will allow us to generate our own food expenses, as it is unclear how we can continue to operate if we have to rely on government support alone.

Makomotake Harvest Event Summary》Date ：October 12, 2024

Date: Saturday, October 12, 2024, 10:00-12:00

Place: Kidoyama-cho Hall, 2 Kidoyama-cho, Tondabayashi City, Osaka Prefecture

Number of participants: 15

Content ：Harvesting and direct sales of Makomo-giri

Fee: 1kg or more (1,080 yen/kg (tax included))

What to bring: Wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty, a change of clothes, a towel, a hat for protection from the sun, etc.

Application: Call us or call us on our official line

　　　　　Phone: 090-3615-7037 (Attn: Hiratani)

　　　　　Official LINE: https://lin.ee/BlXB5U9

Company Profile

Company name: AquaFolia Co.