Dr. Teruo Higa

"The world is currently facing a time of great change and upheaval. I believe this condition has arisen mainly because of our present civilization becoming increasingly structured along the lines of competitive principles. An excessive reliance on competition certainly does not excite feelings of generosity and sharing."(Teruo Higa, 1996).

Development of EM

The seed of what was to become EM germinated when Dr. Higa was researching mandarin oranges for his doctorate in Horticulture at Kyushyu University Graduate School. It was there that he realized the potential of microorganisms in agriculture and this discovery took his research in a new direction

In those days, orange farming relied heavily on agricultural chemicals. Dr. Higa was interested in microorganisms but advocated of the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides because, with his farming experience, he knew that farming was extremely labor intensive, especially the production of good compost. While he was involved in growing oranges, he noticed an overall decline in his health and he started to break out in rashes. His symptoms got progressively worse as he continued to work in proximity with agro-chemicals. That experience deeply influenced his thinking and he made microorganisms the main focus of his research. However, in those days it was common to work with only one type of microorganism at a time and there were many different types of microorganisms to test. His research generated no results of any significance even after five years of hard work.

After he returned to University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, he continued his research with safe and harmless microorganisms only. For this reason, he usually collected several strains all in the same bucket in order to dispose of them at the end of the day. One day, he felt it was such a waste to flush these strains down the drain, considering their costs, and decided to sprinkle them on a patch of grass instead. A week later, an obvious difference was noticed on the spot. The growth of grass was significantly better than the grass around the spot. As none of his students did experiments on that spot, he was certain that that mixture of several different types of microorganisms he sprinkled was the cause of the the difference. That was when he realized that the key was the combination of microbes.

After many trials and errors, Dr. Higa discovered an optimal mix in 1980 that promoted healthy plant growth and coined the name "EM" for that group.

His development of EM has brought him international recognition and now he provides guidance and assistance in the application and research of EM around the world.

Co-existence & co-prosperity

One of the most fundamental beliefs in Dr. Higa’s philosophy is that “the essential condition for human happiness is the ability to do what one really loves, whatever that may be, throughout the course of one’s lifetime.” (P. 327, Teruo Higa, An Earth Saving Revolution)

In order for human society to prosper, it is essential that the environment, food supplies and medical treatment be considered the common property of every man, woman and child on earth. Once we are able to establish a system by which this may be accomplished, humanity will move closer to a state of truth and people will attain greater maturity, receive veneration as they get older and be able to serve as assets of society. In order to attain such a state, it is necessary that human kind abandon its penchant for competitiveness and develop a new way of life based on coexistence and co-prosperity.

He insists that authentic technologies, including EM products, have the power to overcome many problems associated with a competitive society and help make a society based on co-existence and co-prosperity come true.

He defines authentic technologies in such a way that they must satisfy two essential criteria: first, it must generate only positive results free from any defects, drawbacks or negative aspects, and secondly, it must be affordable. EM・1 satisfies the first criteria, as there have not been any cases reported with any evidence of adverse or harmful results or negative side-effects. It also satisfies the second criteria, considering the fact that EM・1 is manufactured and distributed in many countries around the world.

With EM products, common problems faced by human beings - food crises, environmental degradation, health care, etc - can be solved. Growing crops using EM products can help make both producers and consumers healthy and will enrich the ecosystem. EM will help farm sustainably, protect the environment and maintain people's health. It will help agriculture, animal husbandry, the environment, and society to transform into cyclic and sustainable, and will enable us to live in a society based on co-existence and co-prosperity.

In order to make his philosophies and visions into reality, Dr. Higa maintains his position as the top pioneer of EM products and continues his research, constantly discovering new aspects and effects of EM products.