Announcement of donations to “Niigata Prefecture Japanese Crested Ibis Conservation Fund” and “Environment Improvement Fund for Japanese Crested Ibises in Sado City”

Menicon Co., Ltd. (head office: 3-21-19 Aoi, Naka-ku, Nagoya; Director, President and CEO: Koji Kawaura) announces that it has donated 1,174,382 yen to the “Niigata Prefecture Japanese Crested Ibis Conservation Fund” and 200,000 yen for the “Environment Improvement Fund for Japanese Crested Ibises in Sado City.”

 To support natural environmental protection and preservation activities for Japanese crested ibises, Menicon began donating part of the sales of “Agri Kakumei” series to the Japanese crested ibis protection fundraising and environmental improvement fund in 2011, and this year marked the 15th time.
The donations are used to fund natural environment protection and preservation activities for Japanese crested ibises. Additionally, to further expand our Japanese crested ibis protection activities and for our shareholders’ deeper understanding of our business, we have included “Japanese crested ibis protection fundraising” in our shareholder benefit program, which is appreciated and supported by many shareholders. The number of our shareholders is increasing year by year, along with the steadily increasing donation amount.
We have also added donations for Japanese crested ibis protection fundraising to the point exchange service “MENICOiN”^* since FY2024, and many service users have donated using points. The breakdown of donations this time is as follows:

 [Breakdown of donations]
●   “Niigata Prefecture Japanese Crested Ibis Conservation Fund”: 1,174,382 yen

• Part of the sales of “Agri Kakumei” series, a rice straw decomposition accelerator: 300,000 yen
• Application for shareholder benefit program: 752,500 yen
• Exchanged points using “MENICOiN” point service offered by Menicon: 121,882 yen

●   “Environment Improvement Fund for Japanese Crested Ibises in Sado City”: 200,000 yen

• Part of the sales of “Agri Kakumei” series, a rice straw decomposition accelerator: 200,000 yen

Niigata Prefecture focuses on the creation of a living environment suited to returning Japanese crested ibises to the wild in Sado. They are supporting the restoration of feeding grounds and satoyama (undeveloped woodland near populated areas) preservation activities. In Sado City, the environment is being improved for Japanese crested ibises through chemical-free rice farming.
According to Niigata Prefecture, the total number of wild Japanese crested ibises living in Sado is estimated to be 576 as of the end of December 2024. 

The “Agri Kakumei” series consists of environmentally friendly products, to which Menicon applies the technology cultivated in the areas of contact lenses and care goods to the environmental business area, and it is used to degrade rice straw left in the paddy fields after harvests with enzymes to reduce “gas generation” and “floating straw” that cause poor rice growth and greenhouse gases. We launched “Agri Kakumei” in 2005 and “Agri Kakumei Aqua” in 2012.
Sado City has implemented the Sado City Certified Rice System. To obtain certification, the use of agrichemicals and chemical fertilizers must be reduced and “farming methods to nurture living creatures,” such as keeping water in the paddy fields in winter and constructing fishways, must be implemented. The farmers spray “Agri Kakumei” to degrade the rice straw before introducing the water kept in the paddy fields in winter, which helps them create an environment that Japanese crested ibises can inhabit. 

Menicon will continue to develop environmentally friendly products and support efforts to create an environment where people coexist with Japanese crested ibises. 

*About MENICOiN
MENICOiN is a point service offered through “Club Menicon,” by which Menicon provides convenient systems, benefits, and the latest information.
Users can accumulate points through campaigns such as MELS PLAN, answering questionnaires, and viewing content such as videos.

 ■ To learn about Menicon's other environmental initiatives, go here
https://www.menicon.com/corporate/social-contribution-and-sustainability/environment

Agri Kakumei	Agri Kakumei Aqua (100 mL)