Donated Fruit Covers Sapporo Zoo's Banana Needs as Feed Prices Rise

250 kilograms of bananas a month, without the retail bill

Sapporo Maruyama Zoo now receives all the bananas its animals need through donations, about 250 kilograms a month, as higher crop prices put pressure on its feeding budget. Since July 2025, ANA Foods, a food trader based in Tokyo, and local fruit wholesaler Sunoupuru Sapporo have supplied bananas, apples, mandarins and sweet potatoes that are safe to eat but cannot be sold in shops.

The donations go primarily to elephants, monkeys and brown bears. Alongside the full banana supply, donated stock accounts for roughly two thirds of the mandarins fed to the animals. The arrangement gives the zoo a regular source of food while finding a use for produce that would otherwise be discarded.

Poor weather has disrupted harvests this year and pushed up agricultural prices. Fruit sold for household consumption has risen by about 20 percent compared with typical levels, while fruit bought as animal feed has increased by around 10 percent. Feed accounts for just under 10 percent of Maruyama Zoo's budget, leaving staff to manage higher costs alongside other daily expenses.

The zoo has negotiated with suppliers and looked for cheaper options, but feeding requirements remain. Director Aya Shirouzu said the donations help protect the food supply for animals whose needs continue regardless of market prices.

No matter how high prices go, we cannot reduce the amount of feed. The animals eat a lot, so this support is a big help.

Co op Sapporo helped bring the arrangement together after the zoo asked for advice. The cooperative, which already supports the zoo's polar bear program, contacted business partners and connected the zoo with companies able to redirect edible produce.

Where the food comes from

ANA Foods supplies bananas arriving monthly from Vietnam. Sunoupuru Sapporo provides apples grown mainly in Aomori Prefecture, mandarins mainly from Mikkabi in Shizuoka Prefecture, and sweet potatoes from Oita Prefecture. Together, the deliveries connect the zoo's feeding needs with produce moving through several different supply routes.

The regular quantities show how much of the animals' food can come from produce that misses retail requirements:

• Bananas: about 250 kilograms a month from ANA Foods, covering the zoo's entire banana requirement.
• Apples: about 150 kilograms a month from Sunoupuru Sapporo, mainly from Aomori Prefecture.
• Mandarins: about 200 kilograms a month from Sunoupuru Sapporo, mainly from Mikkabi in Shizuoka Prefecture.
• Sweet potatoes: supplied by Sunoupuru Sapporo from Oita Prefecture, with quantities adjusted as needed.

Bananas are a staple treat for elephants and primates. Covering that whole requirement through donations removes the need to buy the approximately 250 kilograms used each month. Mandarins provide another substantial saving, with donated fruit supplying roughly two thirds of the amount fed to animals.

Deliveries arrive in batches. Zoo staff sort, store, wash and prepare the produce before fitting it into the feeding plan for each species. A regular supply helps keep those diets consistent even when prices or harvest conditions change.

Why edible fruit misses store shelves

Fruit can become unsuitable for retail sale without becoming unsuitable to eat. Some produce is removed from its packaging during import inspections and cannot then go onto store shelves. Other fruit falls outside requirements for size or appearance and may be returned to producers.

Uniform color, minor blemishes and fruit that is larger or smaller than store specifications can all affect whether a retailer accepts it. Those rules help determine what shoppers see on a display, but they also leave businesses handling edible food that has no normal retail destination.

Akio Sonoda, manager of ANA Foods' Sapporo branch, explained why the company can supply the zoo with fruit that remains wholesome despite being excluded from sale.

These are foods that are perfectly safe for people to eat, they are just not suitable for sale as products.

ANA Foods and Sunoupuru Sapporo set this produce aside for the zoo instead of discarding it. Businesses reduce disposal costs, while the zoo lowers its spending on feed. The same shipment can therefore address two practical problems: unused food at the supplier and a growing food bill at the zoo.

Weather pressures reach the feeding budget

Heavy rain and heat waves in various regions have disrupted crop yields and quality this year. When crops suffer, less produce may meet retail standards and the supply available to buyers can tighten. Unstable harvests make both prices and purchasing plans harder to manage.

Imported fruit faces other possible price pressures. Shipping costs and currency movements can affect the price paid for items such as bananas from Southeast Asia. For a zoo planning its food purchases in advance, those changes can make bills less predictable.

The roughly 20 percent rise in household fruit prices is greater than the approximately 10 percent increase for fruit bought as animal feed. Both increases, however, come at a time when the zoo must maintain regular meals rather than simply buy less food.

Feed takes up just under a tenth of Maruyama Zoo's total budget. A rise in that spending leaves less room within a budget that must also cover animal care, veterinary supplies, utilities and facility maintenance. Negotiating prices and finding cheaper supplies can help, but the animals still need adequate portions and consistent nutrition.

Donations give the zoo some protection from that pressure. They also make supply steadier during a period when market prices are changing, helping staff maintain routines for animals that depend on planned diets.

Fruit fits into a wider diet

Elephants and monkeys readily eat bananas, which provide quick energy for large herbivores and active primates. Apples and mandarins supply vitamins and fiber, including vitamin C, while a variety of foods can support appetite and provide enrichment, activities and experiences that keep animals engaged.

Brown bears eat a wide range of foods. Seasonal fruit forms part of a broader feeding plan that includes other items suited to their species. Keepers adjust portions for each animal's health, age and activity rather than treating a delivery of donated food as a fixed menu.

Zoo nutritionists decide how much fruit belongs in each feeding plan, taking account of weight, activity and health needs. Keepers and the hospital team coordinate to keep sugar and calories in check. The aim is to use the donations within balanced diets while maintaining health and body condition.

Fruit can also support cooperative care. Keepers sometimes offer pieces as rewards during training, encouraging an animal to present a paw or open its mouth for inspection. These familiar actions help staff carry out health checks with the animal's participation.

What happens before feeding time

Zoo staff check the ripeness and condition of incoming fruit, then wash, trim, cut and weigh it before feeding. Sorting and storage are part of the work required to turn a donation into a suitable meal.

Very ripe produce may be fed sooner or frozen for use over a short period. If a portion would contain too much sugar for a particular animal, keepers reduce it or balance it with foods containing fewer calories. Staff also monitor how animals respond and adjust portions as needed.

The combination of preparation and diet planning allows the zoo to use fruit from different suppliers without abandoning established feeding routines. That consistency matters for sensitive species, while the range of donated produce gives keepers variety to work with.

Any expansion of the arrangement would depend on reliable transport, clear food safety procedures and close communication between donors and keepers. A surplus at a wholesaler still has to reach the zoo in suitable condition and fit the needs of the animals receiving it.

City recognition and a promise to continue

Sapporo Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto presented certificates of appreciation to the partners behind the donation program on September 4. The recognition followed the start of regular deliveries in July and brought public attention to the connection between food supplies, animal care and changing environmental conditions.

Akimoto thanked the businesses and described the zoo as a place where residents could learn about climate change and its effects on everyday life.

This is a tremendous help. The zoo can also serve as a place to learn about the effects of climate change. I hope many citizens will become aware of this effort.

Sunoupuru Sapporo president Kazutoshi Ogara said the company wanted its contribution to continue as lasting support for the city and its zoo.

We want to keep supporting the zoo for a long time.

The main developments, as of September 23, 2025, are:

• July 2025: ANA Foods and Sunoupuru Sapporo began regular donations of fruit and sweet potatoes.
• September 4, 2025: Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto presented certificates of appreciation to the program's partners.
• September 23, 2025: Donations were covering the zoo's full monthly banana requirement and roughly two thirds of its mandarins.

The partners have expressed a wish to keep the arrangement going. No date has been given for an expansion to additional produce.

Another Hokkaido effort closes the loop

Nomura Farm Hokkaido, operated by Nomura Holdings, has tested a related approach. The farm has donated sweet potatoes that fall outside retail standards to Maruyama Zoo, then used compost made from zoo manure on its fields.

The process connects food production with animal care in a loop. Farm produce becomes animal feed, and compost made from animal waste returns to farmland as fertilizer. The arrangement reduces waste while improving soil.

Students and visitors can follow the whole process, from a crop that cannot be sold in the usual way to food for an animal and then material returned to the land. It gives a concrete example of how resources can be used again rather than discarded after one stage.

The fruit donation program reflects the same effort to avoid waste, even though its main route runs from wholesalers and a food trader to the zoo. Japan has worked steadily to reduce food waste in recent years, and redirecting edible produce fits the idea of mottainai, avoiding waste out of respect for resources.

What a broader network could offer

Co op Sapporo's involvement shows how an existing relationship can lead to another form of support. Its work with the polar bear program gave the zoo a connection to an organization that could approach businesses with suitable supplies.

Businesses receive recognition for reducing waste and contributing to the community. The zoo gains regular food deliveries, while residents can see a practical example of sustainability linked to a familiar public institution. Visitors can connect the animals in front of them with decisions about food, farming and disposal.

A broader network involving farms, wholesalers, food processors and transport companies could help match surplus produce with feeding needs across the seasons. A wider range of suitable items could give zoos more options for balanced diets while reducing the amount businesses pay to dispose of unused food.

Vegetables and other produce that occasionally miss retail standards are possible additions to the model. Teachers and families could also use such arrangements to connect lessons about resources with a visible local example. Those possibilities depend on the same practical work already required for fruit: suitable food, dependable deliveries and careful preparation.

For Maruyama Zoo, the immediate benefit is concrete. Food that cannot enter a shop is helping maintain meals for elephants, monkeys and bears at a time of rising prices. The companies' intention to continue and the city's recognition give the effort support beyond the feeding area, while keepers remain responsible for fitting every delivery into the animals' daily care.

Key Points

• ANA Foods and Sunoupuru Sapporo have supplied donated produce to Sapporo Maruyama Zoo since July 2025.
• About 250 kilograms of bananas a month cover the zoo's full requirement, while donations supply roughly two thirds of its mandarins.
• Sunoupuru Sapporo also supplies about 150 kilograms of apples and 200 kilograms of mandarins monthly, plus sweet potatoes as needed.
• Household fruit prices have risen about 20 percent above typical levels, while fruit bought as animal feed is up around 10 percent.
• Feed accounts for just under 10 percent of the zoo's budget, and staff must maintain adequate meals despite higher prices.
• Co op Sapporo connected the zoo with business partners, and Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto recognized the donors on September 4.
• Keepers prepare and portion the donated food according to each animal's nutritional needs.
• Nomura Farm Hokkaido has linked sweet potato donations with the use of compost made from zoo manure on its fields.