Zenkyoren (Japan) is a member of the JA Group of agricultural cooperatives in Japan and supports the lives of more than 10 million members through life and non-life (building endowment and auto) insurance.
Zenkyoren has learned many lessons from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, after which it paid out around JPY one trillion (USD 9.2 billion) in claims. It has in a practical way applied these learnings to their preparation and response planning for climate change and climate-related disasters.
As a mutual aid provider (cooperative insurer), it is central to Zenkyoren’s ethos to quickly assess and pay claims to their policyholders whenever a large-scale event may occur. Therefore, as part of its “response” efforts, it has built a new claims payment system and implemented new procedures to speed up the payment of potential disaster-related claims. Zenkyoren has also trained more than 50,000 cooperative associates in post-disaster claims handling so it can quickly assess and adjust claims, utilising new technologies (such as tablet computers).
Zenkyoren also conducts various activities to raise awareness of the importance of disaster prevention and preparation on a daily basis. This is an integrated approach, alongside community residents, local cooperatives, and local government to improve societal resilience. Zenkyoren itself is also strengthening its enterprise risk management (ERM) systems and making efforts to improve the organisation’s resilience as part of its “preparation” strategy.
These efforts combine to strengthen the relationship and trust between Zenkyoren and the local communities it serves. It improves knowledge on the mutual aid (mutuality) model and makes its services more sustainable, resulting in disaster-resilient and sustainable communities.
Responding to other emerging risks, the organisation has established a “AgVenture Lab”. The Lab works together with various stakeholders, such as start-up businesses, entrepreneurial ventures, universities, and local governments, combining external knowledge and technologies to act as a launch pad for open innovation, with the ultimate aim to generate new ideas and solutions to contribute to a sustainable and smart society.
Adopting innovation and having the courage to change, whilst maintaining their values as a cooperative organisation, helps Zenkyoren to build trust with the community.
