Suntory Holdings Limited has entered into an agreement with the city of Akiruno to promote forest conservation for the water resource area utilized by Suntory Musashino Brewery and the Tamagawa Plant of Suntory Food Industries Co., Limited. Established on April 28, 2010, the agreement governs an area which, along with another area by the village of Hinohara in the Nishitama district of Tokyo contracted earlier in March, will be nicknamed the Suntory "Forest of Natural Water Okutama."
Suntory will promote planting, coniferous forest pruning and thinning, and other conservation activities suited to the local terrain. The Forest of Natural Water Okutama brings the total number of water sources protected by Suntory to twelve, in ten prefectures across Japan.
Under a corporate philosophy of "Resonating with People and Nature," Suntory has long been involved in environmental conservation. Focusing on water in particular (indispensable in production), we have established " Suntory, Bringing Water to Life " as a corporate slogan to promote a respect for water and water-producing ecosystems in business activities.
Through the Suntory "Forest of Natural Water" program, we work with local representatives to protect these water-producing ecosystems, help ensure biodiversity, and offer reforestation opportunities that strengthen ties between people and nature. The program originated in 2003 with the Suntory Forest of Natural Water Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture and will be further expanded this year as conservation begins in Minamiyamashiro, Kyoto. Water resource areas by Suntory plants are targeted in particular, with the goal of ensuring a greater amount of groundwater recharge than the amount of water used in production. Suntory intends to bring the total area in the water resource cultivation program to 7,000 hectares by the end of 2011.
