- Suntory has partnered with Japanese startup to test a fruit-waste-derived soil additive that improves soil water retention.
- The pilot reflects growing concern over drought, declining soil moisture and water stress as risks to agricultural supply chains and ingredient security.
- If successful, the trial could pave the way for wider adoption across Suntory’s crop supply chains.
Suntory Holdings has partnered with Japanese environmental technology startup EF Polymer to test a fruit-waste-derived soil additive designed to improve water retention, as climate change intensifies drought risks and threatens the stability of agricultural supply chains.
The Japanese beverage major entered a strategic partnership with EF Polymer to address agricultural sustainability challenges linked to climate change, particularly drought, reduced rainfall and declining soil moisture.
The companies launched a pilot programme in June to evaluate how EF Polymer’s super absorbent polymer can help stabilise crop yields and quality by enhancing soil moisture retention.
The technology, made from upcycled fruit residues including orange and banana peels, will be tested in yuzu orchards in Kochi Prefecture, Japan, marking EF Polymer’s first strategic collaboration with a beverage company.
An agricultural urgency
The partnership reflects growing concern over water stress and its impact on the availability and quality of agricultural raw materials.
More frequent droughts, reduced rainfall and rising temperatures are increasing pressure on farming systems globally, affecting crop performance and long-term ingredient procurement.
“Water-related challenges, including drought and declining soil moisture, are becoming increasingly critical for agricultural supply chains around the world,” a Suntory Holdings representative told AgNavigator.
“As a company that relies on a wide variety of agricultural ingredients globally, we recognise that strengthening agricultural resilience in the face of climate change is essential for ensuring the long-term stability of raw ingredient procurement.”
The company views drought as a major business risk because of its direct impact on crop yields and quality.
“While agricultural production is influenced by many factors, drought is one of the key risks that can affect crop yield and quality. To strengthen our procurement resilience, we are exploring a variety of solutions, including the strategic partnership with EF Polymer, alongside broader efforts to support the transition to more sustainable agriculture practices, such as regenerative agriculture.”
Upcycled ‘super absorbent polymer’
EF Polymer’s technology is designed to address water scarcity by improving the soil’s capacity to retain moisture.
According to the company, the product is the world’s first commercially produced super absorbent polymer made entirely from naturally derived resources.
By upcycling agricultural residues such as orange and banana peels into a soil amendment, the company aims to create value from waste streams while helping farmers manage water stress.
Suntory sees broader potential in technologies that transform agricultural residues into useful products, particularly as companies look for ways to improve resource efficiency and advance circular economy goals.
“We believe there is significant potential in innovative approaches that create new value from agricultural residues. The agriculture and food industries face a range of challenges, including securing a stable supply of raw materials, making effective use of resources, and reducing residues. Utilising agricultural residues as new resources can help address these challenges while advancing resource circularity.”
The representative added that the company has a long history of finding uses for agricultural byproducts and views EF Polymer’s technology as an example of how upcycling can support agricultural sustainability.
“EF Polymer’s technology is particularly interesting because it upcycles agricultural residues such as fruit peels into a nature-based material that can help improve soil water retention. We see potential for technologies like this to contribute to resource circularity, soil health, and more sustainable and resilient agriculture.”
Yuzu: An important ingredient
The pilot programme will focus on yuzu, a citrus fruit that is an important ingredient for Suntory and one that is particularly sensitive to changes in rainfall and soil moisture.
“Yuzu is not only an important ingredient for the Suntory Group, but also a crop whose yield and quality can be significantly affected by rainfall and soil moisture conditions. That is why we selected it as the focus of this pilot test.”
The trial is being conducted with the support of yuzu farmers in Kochi Prefecture under a broader partnership involving Suntory Holdings, Kochi Prefecture and Kochi University.
Researchers and farmers will assess whether improved soil water retention translates into more stable yields, better crop quality and lower irrigation requirements.
“We will evaluate the impact of improved soil water retention on yield stability and crop quality, as well as its effectiveness in reducing irrigation requirements,” the representative said.
While Suntory stressed that the project is not formally part of its regenerative agriculture programme, the company sees it as complementary to its broader sustainability agenda.
“First and foremost, Suntory views regenerative agriculture as an approach to sustainable agriculture that helps protect and restore soil health and biodiversity. While this project with EF Polymer is not a regenerative agriculture initiative itself, we see it as another approach that contributes to the same goal of sustainable agriculture.”
If successful, the companies said they will explore expanding the approach to other crops sourced by Suntory, potentially creating a new tool for managing climate-related agricultural risks while supporting long-term ingredient security.