MGVP is Mitsui’s own program to support organizations that work on addressing social challenges, corresponding to the number of participating volunteers. In the MGVP Matching Gift, which began in 2009, we have donated a total of approximately 29 million yen to eight organizations so far.

From January to December 2018, the number of MGVP participants in matching gifts reached 4,218 persons in total. The donation amount is 1,000 yen per person, and accordingly the total donation amount became 4,218,000 yen. In this fiscal year, we will support the Cashew Revitalization Project being conducted by ETG Farmers Foundation (EFF) in Zambia.

EFF is a non-profit organization established in 2013 aiming to improve the productivity and economic independence of small-scale farmers in Africa, and is especially engaged in agricultural technical guidance and other activities in Eastern Africa. In Zambia, one of the EFF activity areas, we made a donation to reforestation and production efficiency improvement activities in cashews in the western region, where the poverty level is high. On the occasion of making this donation, Mitsui personnel visited one of the project sites located approximately 600 kilometers away from Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, where the presentation ceremony was held for EFF.

EFF dispatches experts to 10 project sites to provide guidance on producing cashews for smallholder farmers and also promotes these activities in cooperation with Barotseland University, which is training local agricultural leaders. In addition to the materials and equipment required at project sites and a test farm, PCs, printers, and other equipment for the University were also provided using our donations. The University expressed its appreciation that the long waiting time for students to use PCs has decreased and that a more helpful environment for students to learn in has now been created.

In this project, comprehensive support will be provided for farming expansion, including the development of next-generation farmers, the dissemination of agricultural knowledge such as disease and pest prevention, the management of agricultural data to improve productivity, and the support for women's farming through the establishment of nursery centers, with the aim of ensuring that cashew production will get on track in the future and that the agricultural management of the entire region will be sustainable.

Through support for the EFF, Mitsui & Co. aims to further contribute to Africa's agricultural development as well as Nos. 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger), 4 (Quality Education), and 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) of the SDGs.