Kirin Holdings Company, Limited (Kirin Holdings) and the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences at The University of Tokyo established a new joint research project in June 2025 to assess the social and environmental impacts of nature positive and well-being initiatives in Sri Lankan tea plantations. The project will examine the well-being of tea plantation workers in Sri Lanka, what initiatives can improve their well-being, and how environmental initiatives for sustainable raw material production can be developed locally.

 The involvement of companies involved in product development in improving the natural and working environment in raw material production, could have significant positive effects on reducing environmental impacts and improving working conditions. Following the establishment of task forces for financial information disclosure on climate change (TCFD^*1) and natural capital (TNFD^*2), another task force on inequality and social-related information, TISFD^*3 has also been established, which shows a growing public interest in the disclosure of information on sustainable practices. 

Kirin Holdings is undertaking this joint research from 2025 to 2027, with the aim of carefully evaluating the impact of the activities it has carried out so far on production areas; and will use the results of this research in its future CSV^*4 activities.

The research team is led by Dr. So Morikawa, Lecturer in the Department of International Studies at the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo. The team will discuss and coordinate with local research institutions on the measurement of environmental impacts, track the process of implementation of such initiatives by Japanese companies in Sri Lanka, design and conduct a well-being surveys on the measurement of social impacts, and generate policy and management implications for the stakeholders.

*1 The Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures.

*2 Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures.

*3 Taskforce on Inequality and Social-related Financial Disclosures..

*4 Creating Shared Value. combined added value for consumers as well as for society at large

In 2024, Kirin Holdings and So Morikawa's team conducted a preliminary survey on employees of one tea estate to analyze the components of employee well-being. Based on these preliminary results, the survey is to be expanded to three additional estates in 2025. The results of the survey in 2025 will be compared with the results of a survey to be conducted on the same three estates in 2027, in order to measure the effectiveness of the measures of well-being.

In addition, in May 2025 Kirin Holdings was selected to participate in a pilot test for the development of a 'State of Nature' indicator led by the Nature Positive Initiative^*5 (NPI). The Joint Study team will conduct a pilot test at a tea estate in Sri Lanka, upstream in the supply chain, to measure the 'State of Nature' and quantitatively analyze ecological impacts of tea production. The knowledge gained through these initiatives will be used to achieve Nature Positive goals not only at production sites but also throughout the supply chain in the future.

*5 An association established by 27 of the world's largest conservation organizations, research institutions, businesses and financial alliances. It aims to promote coordination on the definition, consistency and use of the term 'nature positive' and to support broader, long-term efforts to deliver results.

 

·        Previous initiatives by the Kirin Group and Sri Lanka

The Kirin Group has a wide range of experience implementing social and environmental initiatives in Sri Lanka, where the black tea used in Kirin Gogo-no-Kocha is produced. They include the donation of books for the educational support of tea plantation employees and their families, which began in 2007. In December 2024, Kirin Holdings also began operating the Regenerative Tea Scorecard, a tool developed with the Rainforest Alliance in October 2023, to encourage a shift to regenerative agriculture^*6. The company has been working to improve soil health, conserve biodiversity on the estates, restore ecosystems, and promote the use of tea leaves. In the same month, together with Mitsui Norin Co, Ltd., Kirin Holdings also launched a human rights due diligence initiative for tea plantations in Sri Lanka.

*6 An approach that aims to conserve and regenerate the environment through agricultural activities.

  For Reference

Kirin Group Environmental Vision 2050　 https://www.kirinholdings.com/jp/impact/env/mission/

Kirin Group Environmental Report 2024　https://www.kirinholdings.com/jp/investors/library/env_report/

 

·        Past initiatives in Sri Lanka with the Morikawa Laboratory, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo

So Morikawa began his research on the local impacts of social infrastructure projects such as highways in Sri Lanka in 2010; and has been conducting social and community-based research in Sri Lanka with local research institutions for the past 15 years. 

The Sri Lankan government suffers from a lack of resources due to the fragility of its economic base, Especially after the financial crisis in 2022. In this context, the active participation of stakeholders other than the government is expected to play a key role in solving social issues within the country. Dr. Morikawa’s specialization in the formation and implementation of public policy in developing countries, acknowledges the important role of Japanese companies to local economies and societies. Both Morikawa’s team and the Kirin Group share an awareness for the importance of conducting a detailed study of CSV activities and results. Through this research, Kirin Holdings aims to use and accumulate academic knowledge on the measurement of well-being in emerging economies and the nature of environmental conservation led by Japanese and local companies.

The Graduate School of Frontier Sciences at the University of Tokyo was established in 1998 as a graduate department offering only master's and doctoral programs, with the aim of conducting transdisciplinary education and research based on the basic principle of 'academic fusion'. The transdisciplinary graduate school aims to actively contribute to the achievement of a better society, by creating new academic fields through academic fusion, responding to the evolving demands of modern society, boldly taking on the challenges that humanity needs to solve, and developing global human resources with cross-disciplinary perspectives and advanced problem-solving skills. 

For Reference

 Website of the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo: https://www.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp/