Embracing a Sustainable Future Amid Global Challenges in 2026
As we step into the year 2026, we convey our heartfelt wishes for a fruitful year ahead for everyone. The year 2025 marked significant milestones: it was designated as the second International Cooperative Year by the United Nations, and also the 80th anniversary of post-war Japan and the atomic bomb disaster. Co-operatives across the nation united to spread the importance of peace through various initiatives.
Among them, the Japan Federation of Atomic Bomb Survivors (Hibakusha) joined hands with Pal System, advocating for the Japanese government's signature and ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. This call gathered a remarkable 3.44 million signatures, reflecting the high expectations placed on cooperatives during this poignant year.
However, when we look at the global landscape, the realization of peace remains a distant goal. Regions like Ukraine, Palestine, and Sudan continue to struggle with ongoing conflicts, leaving citizens unable to regain a sense of normalcy. Reports from the United Nations highlight a record number of significant human rights violations, including child casualties and criminal offenses. In conflict-affected areas, extreme poverty and hunger are rampant, exacerbated by these dire circumstances.
Moreover, we are facing increasing occurrences of severe natural disasters, such as sudden shifts in land and ocean temperatures, record rainfall, and devastating forest fires. These events are happening with unprecedented frequency and severity. The impact of climate change on agriculture, forestry, and fisheries is becoming increasingly severe, with a variety of crops facing declines in production year after year. Alongside efforts to secure labor and manage costs, ensuring sustainability is now more urgent than ever.
The rising cost of living, driven by these factors, is significantly affecting our daily lives. Environmental issues like plastic reduction, along with the growing threats of cyberattacks and online defamation, require improved literacy and responses. The agenda of human rights issues, including poverty and gender equality, cannot be postponed for future generations.
Addressing these complex challenges cannot solely rely on government intervention or profit-driven market principles. As a cooperative, we have the ability to connect people and confront the difficulties faced by individuals, allowing us to promote respectful approaches tailored to each position. For the sake of passing down a peaceful and stable society to future generations, we must strive to create a sustainable community through the power of mutual aid.
The Pal System Group has been forging various partnerships with direct producers and trading partners, tackling challenges grounded in human connections. In 2025, we continued our support for the Noto Peninsula earthquake recovery efforts, developed frameworks to preserve farmland in direct production areas, and supported local organizations assisting people in need. Each of these initiatives has garnered appreciation and recognition from the relevant parties.
We remain committed to realizing our philosophy of 'Creating a Life Rich in Heart and a Society of Coexistence'. With a dual focus on business and movements, we aim to strengthen the bonds of trust with everyone involved and vigorously advance toward building a sustainable, resource-circulating society. Achieving this requires deepening collaboration and forging stronger trust with all of you.
Let us endeavor together toward a society where everyone can live safely. For this purpose, we sincerely request your continued guidance and support in the coming year.
Yasuyuki Shibusawa, Chairman of the Pal System Cooperative Federation
Among them, the Japan Federation of Atomic Bomb Survivors (Hibakusha) joined hands with Pal System, advocating for the Japanese government's signature and ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. This call gathered a remarkable 3.44 million signatures, reflecting the high expectations placed on cooperatives during this poignant year.
However, when we look at the global landscape, the realization of peace remains a distant goal. Regions like Ukraine, Palestine, and Sudan continue to struggle with ongoing conflicts, leaving citizens unable to regain a sense of normalcy. Reports from the United Nations highlight a record number of significant human rights violations, including child casualties and criminal offenses. In conflict-affected areas, extreme poverty and hunger are rampant, exacerbated by these dire circumstances.
Moreover, we are facing increasing occurrences of severe natural disasters, such as sudden shifts in land and ocean temperatures, record rainfall, and devastating forest fires. These events are happening with unprecedented frequency and severity. The impact of climate change on agriculture, forestry, and fisheries is becoming increasingly severe, with a variety of crops facing declines in production year after year. Alongside efforts to secure labor and manage costs, ensuring sustainability is now more urgent than ever.
The rising cost of living, driven by these factors, is significantly affecting our daily lives. Environmental issues like plastic reduction, along with the growing threats of cyberattacks and online defamation, require improved literacy and responses. The agenda of human rights issues, including poverty and gender equality, cannot be postponed for future generations.
Addressing these complex challenges cannot solely rely on government intervention or profit-driven market principles. As a cooperative, we have the ability to connect people and confront the difficulties faced by individuals, allowing us to promote respectful approaches tailored to each position. For the sake of passing down a peaceful and stable society to future generations, we must strive to create a sustainable community through the power of mutual aid.
The Pal System Group has been forging various partnerships with direct producers and trading partners, tackling challenges grounded in human connections. In 2025, we continued our support for the Noto Peninsula earthquake recovery efforts, developed frameworks to preserve farmland in direct production areas, and supported local organizations assisting people in need. Each of these initiatives has garnered appreciation and recognition from the relevant parties.
We remain committed to realizing our philosophy of 'Creating a Life Rich in Heart and a Society of Coexistence'. With a dual focus on business and movements, we aim to strengthen the bonds of trust with everyone involved and vigorously advance toward building a sustainable, resource-circulating society. Achieving this requires deepening collaboration and forging stronger trust with all of you.
Let us endeavor together toward a society where everyone can live safely. For this purpose, we sincerely request your continued guidance and support in the coming year.
Yasuyuki Shibusawa, Chairman of the Pal System Cooperative Federation
Topics People & Culture）
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