Oji Holdings Corporation (President: Hiroyuki Isono; Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo) announced that “OJI Sustainable Mulching Sheet,” a paper-based agricultural mulching sheet developed by Oji F-Tex Co., Ltd. (President: Hirokazu Yasui; Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo), has won the Excellence Award in the Business Category at the FoodTech Business Contest organized by the Council for Public–Private Partnership in Food Technology.
The FoodTech Business Contest aims to promote the social implementation of innovative technologies and business models in the food and agriculture sectors. A record-high 142 entries were submitted this year, and “OJI Sustainable Mulching Sheet” was selected for the Excellence Award in the Business Category.
“OJI Sustainable Mulching Sheet” has attracted attention as an innovative agricultural material that helps mitigate heat stress caused by increasingly severe summer temperatures. By utilizing the water-retention properties of paper and the cooling effect of evaporative heat, the sheet lowers soil temperature and has been reported to increase yields of crops harvested from summer to autumn. The product is also biodegradable and can be plowed directly into the soil after use, helping reduce the burden of collection and disposal.
This award recognizes the product’s potential to both improve agricultural productivity and reduce environmental impact. It also demonstrates how the paper material technologies cultivated by the Oji Group over more than 150 years can be applied to addressing challenges in agriculture, creating a new solution in the FoodTech field.
The Oji Group will continue to contribute to the realization of a sustainable society through technological development utilizing forest-derived materials.
(Compatible with conventional mulching machines)
(Left: OJI Sustainable Mulching Sheet
Right: Black polyethylene mulch)
【FoodTech Business Contest – “Create the Future!”】
The FoodTech Business Contest is organized to promote the social implementation of innovative technologies and business models in the FoodTech sector. The contest is hosted by the Public–Private Council for FoodTech, whose secretariat is managed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), and aims to encourage the creation of new businesses in the food and agriculture fields.
More information, including details of the award results and interviews with the recipients, is available on the official website below.
●Official Website
https://food-tech.maff.go.jp/en/business-contest-en/
●Award Winners (FoodTech Business Contest)
https://food-tech.maff.go.jp/business-contest/contestants2026/
●Winner Interview (Oji Group)
https://food-tech.maff.go.jp/business-contest/r7winners-voice-oji/
<Contact>
Industrial Functional Materials Sales Department
Oji F-Tex Co., Ltd
Phone：03-5550-3100 E-mail : oji-ftexmulch@oji-gr.com
Corporate Operation Division
Oji Holdings Corporation
Phone：03-3563-1130 E-mail：oji-forest@oji-gr.com
Public Relations and Investor Relations Department, Corporate Governance Division,
Oji Holdings Corporation
Phone: +81-3-3563-4523 E-mail：oji-holdings@oji-gr.com