In August 2021, ITOCHU started a mangrove planting project in collaboration with Uken Village in Amami-Oshima Island. The first planting activity was conducted in October 2021.
Located on the west coast of Amami Oshima, Uken Village is striving to nurture and protect its abundant and irreplaceable natural environment, home to many different creatures, so that the next generation will always and proudly cherish it. As part of this effort, they plant mangroves by using the seedlings of Kandelia obovata^* that local children grow. Referred to as "the cradle of the sea," the mangrove forest provides aquatic creatures with a habitat. Moreover, leaves and fruits from the forest serve as the source of the creatures' energy and also contribute to the conservation of biodiversity. Creatures such as mud crabs and barred mudskippers inhabit the mangrove ecosystem of Amami Oshima.
Mangroves are known to absorb a large amount of CO₂ per unit area as their densely growing rootlets constantly repeat a process of extending and dying and the fallen branches and leaves become peaty and accumulate, isolating high-density carbon in the soil.
ITOCHU will continue to contribute to the prevention of biodiversity loss, which make up part of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by supporting mangrove planting project.

The Division of Climate System Research, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, the University of Tokyo advances research into climate systems through numerical models and the analysis of observational data, and engages in enthusiastic research with the goal of giving back to society through those findings. ITOCHU Corporation has sponsored this mission since the founding of the University of Tokyo's former Climate System Research Center in 1991, and has continued to support its research.

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