Case Study: Mitsui & Co., Ltd. connects African producers with Japanese consumers for sustainable traceability with IBM

Traceability system connecting African producers with Japanese consumers to create new sustainable experiences

Mitsui & Co., Ltd. wanted to advance sustainability through “farmers 360° link,” a blockchain-based traceability system that connects cotton farmers in Zambia with Japanese consumers. The challenge was creating two mobile apps — one for field managers in areas with poor connectivity and low smartphone familiarity, and another consumer app that delivered a simple, appealing UX/UI for apparel shoppers. IBM was selected as the co-creation partner, using IBM Consulting Services and IBM Garage.

IBM implemented the app development and testing, tailoring the field app to local conditions and helping Mitsui refine the consumer experience through user interviews, repeated testing, and UI/UX design. The result was a system adopted at about 3,000 farms by April 2022 and later used by leading fashion brands such as Ron Herman and BEAMS, helping Mitsui expand product transparency and build a platform with broader market attention.

Mitsui & Co., Ltd.

Ryuichi Ikeda

Project Headquarters, Project Development Dept. 2, Sales Office 2 and Digital Strategy Department, DX Dept. 2, Assistant General Manager