食料問題を解決するために、型破りでも困難でも「正しいと思うこと」をやる －元WFP 忍足謙朗×ユーグレナ 出雲充

"Everyone has enough, safe and nutritious food to live a healthy life." That state is desired in the world, and there are people who continue to challenge any difficulty to realize it.

We are pleased to present a dialogue Euglena President Mitsuru Izumo, who provides food assistance in Bangladesh, who enthusiastically talked about his aspirations to continue to be right and leadership to lead. ..

Local people can procure their own food at the market

Mitsuru Izumo (hereinafter referred to as Izumo): Before this conversation, I heard from Mr. Shinobu that 3 million children died before their 5th birthday in a year. I was born in Japan, but I don't think I'm glad I was born in Japan.

Kenro Shinobi (hereinafter referred to as Shinobi): We often talk about "1000 days". It takes about 1000 days from when the baby is born in the mother's stomach to when she reaches her second birthday. During this time, if your mother is poorly nourished, you will not be able to produce enough milk. In addition, there are many cases in which baby food cannot be properly eaten due to poverty. If you don't get enough nutrition in 1000 days, your child will be stunted, obviously shorter than the average age, delayed intellectual development, and more susceptible to illness. is. If you grow up while dragging this, productivity will be threatened and the chain of poverty will continue. Children's nutrition is really important even if they are over 2 years old. That is why I think it is important to have an initiative like the Euglena GENKI Program, which is being carried out Euglena Co., Ltd., which is led by Mr. Izumo, Euglena By the way, what kind of steps are you drawing next?

Izumo: To be honest, there are still many issues to be solved. In Bangladesh, heavy rain damage occurs "once every few decades" every year, which has the effect of reducing the size of locally cultivated mung beans. Also, I didn't expect inflation to rise so rapidly in Bangladesh. Euglena GENKI Program in 2014, we distributed cookies to 200 children, but now we have expanded to 10,000. And over the last five years, Bangladesh's economy has grown by about 10 percent each year, and cookie packing freight and labor costs have doubled. I find it difficult to continue to provide support in a country with growing economies.

Shinobi:I see. In that sense, it may be possible to do even bigger by forming a partnership with the Bangladesh government as well as with WFP. To tell you one episode, one of the Japanese companies that provides the greatest support to WFP is a major food company, but once I took the CEO to Cambodia to see school lunches. there was. He said, "This school lunch is not delicious. I want to make instant noodles with fortification." After research and development, I was asked to provide a prototype, but this did not happen.

Izumo:I wonder why?

Shinobi: The food company kept the price down by saying, "Only the manufacturing cost is enough," but it was still too expensive for WFP. In reality, cost is a very important issue. It has the same calories and nutrients and can be procured cheaper. I think it would be strong if there was such a product.

Izumo: I definitely want to develop products with such global specifications.

Shinobi: In terms of nutritional support, WFP's ultimate goal is to allow people in need to go to the market and procure food on their own. Ideally, there should be nutritious products that can be bought in the market even in the poor.

Izumo: We also want to do our best to reduce costs and deliver products that can be bought cheaply while ensuring nutrition. Bangladesh is stable except for the Rohingya refugee problem, and its economic growth is really great. Eventually, the purchasing power of the local people will increase, and as our costs decrease, I think we will be able to cross well.

Shinobi: It's great to be able to draw such goals.

Sometimes break the rules and set a "new precedent"

Izumo: When I decided to partner with WFP, I thought, "One dream has come true!"

Shinobi:Really?

Izumo: Yes, it was a dream since I was a high school student. At that time, I learned about the refugee problem by watching NHK's "Century of Images" and wanted to get a job at a UN agency and deliver food to the world in order to solve it. It was an era when the Internet was not widespread, so I went to a bookstore and asked, "What kind of university do people working at the United Nations graduate from?" It seems like a dream to be able to work with the United Nations, and I am very honored to welcome Mr. Shinobi today. By the way, I heard that people working at the United Nations have unusual passports ... Can you show me?

Shinobi:Okay. This is my passport.
There is a United Nations mark on the red cover, not the nationality. Because it is an "international civil servant". Civil servants working for UN agencies must not work for their own country.

Izumo: I've heard rumors, but there really are passports that don't have Residential Country written on them. Mr. Shinobu was also focusing on his work in North Korea when he was the director of the Asian Regional Bureau. How did you feel at that time?

Shinobi: I felt that there was no other country like North Korea. Initially, the government told us to "give only food," but WFP must monitor the situation after the start of assistance. Negotiations for that have been going on for decades.

Izumo: You don't know if it is being used effectively just by handing it over.

Shinobi:Okay. Eventually, the other side broke, and the freedom of our activities increased, and we were able to drive freely in Pyongyang.

Izumo: Amazing. I have a strong image of a country that strictly controls information, but how did you proceed with the negotiations?

Shinobi: Even North Korea wants food. There are various frameworks for international humanitarian assistance, but food is particularly sought after. In that sense, WFP was the strongest negotiator. Sometimes it's a fight, but it feels like it breaks or doesn't break and goes in little by little.

Izumo: Is there anything human-like to the other party?

Shinobi: Of course, the other person is also a human being, so it is important not only to go to the official negotiation table but also to go out for a drink together. It's an Asian "drinking nication". At one point, I decided to eat with government officials in a port town in North Korea, but I once asked, "I want to walk from the hotel to the shop."

Izumo: Is it OK?

Shinobi: Naturally it was NG. However, when I said "I want to walk back to the hotel" again on the way home after having a drink at the store, it was OK (laughs). I think I was getting drunk and feeling good over there. Now that we have set a precedent, we can now walk from the hotel to the shops.

Izumo: It's a wonderful episode. Not only do you always check the rules and work with the rules first, but sometimes you break them and "set a new precedent".

"Fairness," "courage," and "compassion" that are familiar to both the United Nations and companies

Izumo: When I was assigned to Sudan, I heard that I paid a severance pay to a local staff member who should not have received a severance pay under the rules. How did you break through the rules?

Shinobi: The local staff have been in charge of security for 10 years. However, due to the circumstances of WFP, the contract was terminated. Even in such a situation, I thought it was strange that no retirement allowance would be paid because "the contract is that way". Of course, the headquarters attaches great importance to personnel rules. I called various people over the phone, but all they said was, "I understand what Kenro says, but this is a rule." So, finally, I sent an email to the people concerned saying, "No matter who says it, I will give you a retirement allowance. If you absolutely disagree with this, please reply." So, I didn't get a reply from anyone, so I paid my retirement allowance.

Izumo: Wow! "If you absolutely disagree, please email me." With this, you are not confirming the rules, but confirming the intentions of each person. I don't think there are many episodes that will give you such courage, energy, and motivation. "Do The Right Thing", do what you think is right.

Shinobi: The same thing happened in the Philippines. The heavy rain caused by the typhoon was ruining the local food warehouse. That's why I have to rebuild the warehouse, which costs about 25 million yen. An American staff member named Tommy, who was my subordinate, brought me the quote. But according to UN rules, you have to get three quotes.

Izumo: Even though it is on the verge of running out of relief supplies.

Shinobi:Okay. The warehouse is sinking right in front of me. So I can't wait for three quotes. "I will sign responsibly, so proceed with that estimate," he said. Then Tommy grinned and said, "I thought Kenro would definitely say that, so I actually placed an order three days ago and are proceeding with the construction."

Izumo: It's cool.

Shinobi: Tommy is also a very courageous guy. It was a team that each could make decisions in order to respond to what was happening in the field and do their best. The rules have been broken quite a bit.

Izumo: I also want to be like this. Originally, I wasn't the type to act under the rules, but listening to Mr. Kenro's story gave me even more courage. I think people in the world are spending their days worrying about various rules. "Do The Right Thing", it's important to always think about what's right.
Finally, could you tell us the key points in organizing a great team like Kenro and Tommy?

Shinobi:I agree. In terms of leadership, I think there are three important things. The first is to be "fair" to everyone. Fairness was required, especially when working multinationally like me. Next is "courage". Being able to make courageous decisions, make courageous statements, and be able to act courageously. And finally, "compassion". Can you think of people anyway? These three will be common to both the United Nations and companies.

Izumo:Thank you. I would like to take it firmly and cherish it with my friends.

* About terms
Food = food in general. Food = Main food such as rice and wheat.
* Honorific titles omitted in the text

Editing: Shinsuke Tada / Photo: Reiko Inada