Expo Live I Second Harvest Japan (Marugohan)

Japan discards over 6 million tons of food each year and has 20 million people living in poverty, but there is reluctance for people to accept food assistance. Giving back (ongaeshi) is a deep Japanese value, yet even in natural disasters it is not uncommon for communities to turn down offers of assistance. Marugohan (circle+food) addresses this apparent contradiction by creating a virtuous cycle of receiving assistance while giving back to society. Since 2000, they have been developing a food safety net to match the surplus with unmet needs.