Green Lanterns at Japanese Restaurants Promote Local Produce

The idea was launched in Hokkaido in the spring of 2005 by Kiyoaki Maruyama, the director-general of the National Agricultural Research Center, with the aim of revitalizing Japan's agricultural sector, responding to concern that the country's food self-sufficiency ratio had fallen below 40 percent.

The campaign has since spread nationwide. As of March 2008, more than 700 restaurants were displaying the green lanterns.

This is a three-star green lantern. (Photo credit unknown)

Establishments that support the campaign and use as much domestic produce as possible in their dishes display green lanterns bearing words stating the Japanese equivalent of "We use produce grown in Japan" and showing one to five stars.

The green color was chosen to indicate safe-to-eat vegetables.

The number of stars indicates the percentage of domestic ingredients contained, based on calorie content. One star indicates domestic produce is used in more than 50 percent of the food served. Each additional star indicates that a further 10 percent of domestic produce is used, with five stars meaning the use of 90 percent or more.

Restaurants are invited to join the campaign, and consumers are encouraged to be "green lantern supporters."

They are then expected to dine at establishments displaying the green lanterns and promote the campaign to their favorite restaurants.

In this way, the campaigners hope, participating restaurants can increase the number of regular customers, grow their sales, increase the demand for domestic produce, and help to increase Japan's food self-sufficiency.

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2008. All rights reserved.