Bangladesh
Lunch for all elementary schools.

One day, Akihiko Nagata was struck by a word from a team member when preparations for listing on the TSE Mothers in December 2012 were approaching a climax.
"Euglena company to the children of Bangladesh When will Euglena I hand out whether"

Since assuming the post of director in 2008, Nagata has been working on business partner building, organizational development, business strategy planning, etc., and has been running at full speed toward the realization of listing on TSE Mothers. Of course, I knew that Izumo's desire to solve the malnutrition problem of Bangladeshi children was the reason for its founding, and I strongly sympathized with that desire. However, in the days of busy preparations for listing, it was still a vague goal to be achieved in the long run. A simple word from the members awakened Nagata. "What should we do after achieving the goal of listing on the TSE Mothers? Of course, further business expansion and the realization of bio-jet fuel are important, but now is the time to work on the Bangladesh business."

上場準備の激務の合間を縫って、バングラデシュでの事業化検討に取り組み始めた。
「まず現地に行ってバングラデシュの現状に関する情報と実体験を得なければ始まらない」
さっそく外務省のODA案件化調査に応募し、無事採択された“ユーグレナを用いた母子保健事業案件化調査”のプロジェクトマネジャーとして、東証マザーズ上場日（2012年12月20日）の翌日にバングラデシュに飛んだ。
そして、確信した。
「ユーグレナを子供たちに届けて、バングラデシュの栄養失調問題を解決したい。でもそれだけではもったいない。バングラデシュは必ずもっと経済成長して、大きな市場となる。まだ日本企業が進出していない今こそ、身軽なベンチャーであるユーグレナ社がいち早く進出して、ユーグレナをバングラデシュの人々に浸透させるべきだ」

Nagata and members who visited the elementary school for the survey

From there, the days of round trips between Japan and Bangladesh by Nagata and team members began. Then, after collecting information and exchanging opinions locally, I came up with an idea.
"Many elementary schools in Bangladesh do not have school lunches, and they are poor and have no lunch boxes, so children are studying hungry. Euglena instead of school lunches, they will also study. You can concentrate and grow better, and when you grow up in the future, you may be able to become a future customer as a nutritious food in the original experience, such as milk for lunch for Japanese people. "
After the policy was decided, we worked on preparations for commercialization. Finding a local cooperating partner, securing a cookie manufacturing consignment, securing local management members, establishing a local office ... and finally ready.

In October 2013, Euglena 's first overseas base, the Bangladesh office, was opened. Then, in April 2014, Euglena Euglena GENKI Program" was started for elementary schools in Dhaka city. Nagata attended the opening ceremony held in Dhaka with the president, Izumo, and visited the elementary school to which it was distributed. Children rushing in with a smile and eating cookies deliciously ... It was the moment when Nagata's fever came to fruition.

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  GENKI Program Opening Ceremony

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  Children who receive cookies and smile

Cookies will be distributed to 2,500 people at eight schools in the first year of the GENKI program. By the end of March 2017, 1.6 million meals were distributed annually to about 7,000 people. The future goal is to introduce school lunches to all primary schools in Bangladesh and have one million children eat Euglena The challenge to solve the malnutrition problem in Bangladesh has taken a step towards the future.