AGRI SMILE and Rohto Pharmaceutical Form Capital and Business Alliance

Purpose of the partnership

Our company, guided by our management vision "Connect for Well-being," is committed to supporting the health and happiness of people around the world. We conduct research and development, manufacturing, and sales of a variety of healthcare products, including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, supplements, and food products. We also address environmental and regional issues facing society, working towards the realization of well-being. Many of the raw materials and functionalities of our healthcare products, such as cosmetics and functional foods, are derived from herbal medicines and plants, and we consider climate change and environmental changes to be extremely important issues.

AGRI SMILE operates under the management philosophy of "creating the future of agriculture together with producers through technology." By combining the rich experience of producers with cutting-edge science and technology, AGRI SMILE is working to realize sustainable agriculture with minimal environmental impact. In particular, in recent years, as the effects of climate change have worsened stress on plants and made growing environments unstable, AGRI SMILE aims to establish agricultural technologies that enable stable production and high quality of crops through the use of biostimulant materials.

Through this partnership, we will utilize AGRI SMILE's biostimulant technology to build an environmentally friendly, high-quality, and stable production system for healthcare-related raw material crops, even as climate change progresses, which is a major social challenge. We will also explore the development of cultivation methods that enhance the functionality of raw material crops, thereby creating new value.

What are biostimulants?

Biostimulants are a general term for materials that stimulate plants upon contact, thereby promoting their own natural processes. When biostimulants are applied to plants, they stimulate the plant's "physiological functions." In response to this stimulation, plant tissues activate their own physiological functions and build up their bodies to overcome environmental stress. As a result, they improve the efficiency of nutrient uptake and utilization, and enhance resistance to environmental stresses (abiotic stresses) such as high temperatures.

Biostimulants are expected to be a solution to cultivation challenges caused by global warming, and their use is expanding, particularly in Europe and North America, as a measure against climate change. Since the European Commission published the world's first government-related document, defining biostimulants and establishing rules, in 2012, progress has been made in defining and establishing rules related to biostimulants. In Japan, on May 30, 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries formulated the "Guidelines on Labeling of Biostimulants," which summarizes matters that businesses should keep in mind when handling biostimulants, in order to create an environment in which farmers can confidently select and use effective biostimulants.

• The definition of a biostimulant can be found here.

About AGRI SMILE Co., Ltd.

AGRI SMILE's management philosophy is "Creating the future of agriculture together with producers through technology." By combining the rich experience of producers with ever-evolving science and technology, AGRI SMILE is working to realize environmentally friendly and attractive agriculture. Leveraging Japan's largest network of producers, the company develops agricultural DX solutions using data science technology, production technologies using cutting-edge biotechnology, and support for producer branding.

Company Profile

Impact on performance

The impact of this matter on our consolidated financial results for fiscal year 2026 is expected to be minor. We will promptly inform you of any further matters that require disclosure in the future.