Nov., 2016
Journal of Resources and Ecology
Vol. 7 No.6
J. Resour. Ecol. 2016 7(6) 486-494 DOI: 10.5814/j.issn.1674-764x.2016.06.009 www.jorae.cn
Empowerment of an Aging Population and Rural Women Farmers: a Small Business Model-A Japanese Case Study QIU Zhenmian1,2, CHEN Bixia3,* 1. Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture 920-1192, Japan; 2. School of Economics, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350108, China; 3. Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, Faculty of Agriculture, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan
Abstract: Using the combined approach of questionnaire and semi-structured interview, this study aims to examine the characteristics of a small agricultural business, and benefits perceived by the participants, and challenges. The “multi-industrial system” regional initiative for creating new high-value-added businesses project encourages rural residents to commercialize their surplus agricultural and forestry products, such as pickled or dried wild and cultivated plants. Knowledgeable older people, women farmers in particular, are motivated to market their vegetables directly to the urban market, and their home-processed wild plants to local restaurants and hotels. It found that the older people involved in the business considered that their health and economic situation had been improved through participating in vegetable cultivation and sales. Some lessons from this case study can be identified: the empowerment of older people and women farmers, through active interaction with the market and learning new technologies, including internet-based information search strategies. Key words: aging population; disadvantaged region; farmers’ wellbeing; rural regeneration; women’s empowerment
1
Introduction
In common with many other countries, Japan has been undergoing rapid population aging and loss in rural areas, particularly in remote and disadvantaged regions. Recent administrative efforts in Japan have focused on rebuilding and revitalizing rural societies and economies that are experiencing the effects of rapid modernization and globalization. According to the Census of Agriculture and Forestry, approximately 2.6 million farmers were aged 65 and over in 2010, which was 61.6% of all farmers Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries ((MAFF) 2011a). However, research that considers the older farmer as a major actor in rural rebuilding is still largely lacking, despite the important role older people play in the sustainability of rural commu-
nities (Davis et al. 2012). Older people in rural communities in developed countries still frequently lack basic services and have insufficient economic and community resources (Davis and Bartlett 2008). The national rural development policy in Japan has been focused on farm consolidation and the creation of farm cooperatives to achieve efficiencies of scale. However, in parallel with large-scale agribusiness, small-scale farming and agribusinesses are significant for fragmented farmland in Japan’s hilly and mountainous areas. It has been argued that smallholders can also generate high-value economic, social, and environmental outcomes (Pokorny et al. 2013). In this study, an innovative program for small agri-businesses established several years ago is used to explore a multiindustrial small business model for a potential rural devel-
Received: 2016-03-22 Accepted: 2016-07-05 Foundation: UNU-IAS Operating Unit of Ishikawa Kanazawa for this study’s field survey; The cooperative research program of Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Kanazawa University（No.29, 2015）. *Corresponding author: CHEN Bixia. E-mail:
[email protected]. Citation: QIU Zhenmian, CHEN Bixia. 2016. Empowerment of an Aging Population and Rural Women Farmers: a Small Business Model-A Japanese Case Study. Journal of Resources and Ecology. 7(6): 486–494.
QIU Zhenmian, et al.: Empowerment of an Aging Population and Rural Women Farmers: a Small Business Model-A Japanese Case Study
opment strategy in remote Japanese regions. Using a combination of in-depth interviews and a quantitative survey, this study examined the features of the small agricultural business, and its details, advantages, and challenges. Sustainable development has been the explicit goal of local government development efforts (Kusakabe 2013) and research interest (Mog 2004). The concept of "sustainability" consists of integrated goals for social equity, and the economy, and economic development, social development, and environmental protection, as interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars (3Es) (United Nations General Assembly 2005). At the local community level, sustainable development sometimes simply means whether a program will be continued. Accordingly, this study has several specific research questions: What are the socio-demographic characteristics of the participating farmers? What are the social and economic impacts of this small agricultural business on local communities, and on older farmers in particular? What are the participating farmers’ perspectives on the economic, social and wellbeing benefits to them? Can small agribusiness initiatives that collaborate with the producers’ cooperative Japanese Agricultural Cooperatives (JA) bring economic or social sustainability to remote rural regions? To what extent do JAs have a role in supporting smallholder marketing? What administrative support is needed for the vitality of rural communities at the local level?
2
Study site and method
The hilly Noto Peninsula (Fig. 1), usually called the Noto region, is situated in the north of the Ishikawa Prefecture, which juts into the Sea of Japan. The area is a long, narrow
peninsula extending from the south to the north, characterized by a configuration of closely knit satoyama and satoumi (Japanese socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes), with their associated land uses and diverse livelihoods, based on agriculture, forestry and fisheries, with different lifestyles and customs, and significant biodiversity. A combination of qualitative and quantitative data collection methods was employed in this study. In-depth interviews were conducted with multiple stakeholders: producers on small farms, people engaged in marketing, such as JA staff, wholesalers, brokers, and relevant government officials who provided technical or administrative support to the program. Interviews lasted between 90 and 120 minutes on average. Supplementary interviews were conducted by phone. A semi-structured questionnaire was designed and revised after a group meeting in June 2013 with three producers, one JA staff member, and one prefectural public servant. The questionnaire survey was then conducted among the farmers who participated in the Producer Anniversary Meeting in July 2013. The questionnaire comprised three different sections. The first included questions about the respondents’ attitudes toward the small business. Respondents were asked to comment on their attitudes towards the economic, social, psychological, technical, and health aspects of the business. A five-point Likert’s scale, ranging from “strongly agree” (5), “agree”(4), “neither agree nor disagree” (3), and “disagree” (2), to “strongly disagree” (1), was used to collect information about the respondents’ opinions. The second section included a series of questions, including several open-ended questions, to collect extensive opinions regarding the benefits of the business. The last section included questions about the socio-demographic profile of the farmers, such as their age, education, income, and gender. Data were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) version 16.0.
3
Fig. 1 Map of Okunoto in Ishikawa Prefecture Note: Okunoto, literally meaning the remote Noto, consists of Suzu City, Wajima City, Noto Town and Anamizu Town.
487
Multi-industrial small agribusiness in Okunoto
A recent innovative multi-industrial small business has been established in Okunoto, to transport farm products and non-timber forest products, such as mushrooms and edible wild plants that have been collected from small farmers in the Okunoto region, directly to Kanazawa City, the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture. The direct transport of farm and forest products from remote areas to urban consumers began in 2009. The growers or harvesters themselves pack the products, and even process the fresh wild edible plants at home. Every day, two trucks ship fresh local vegetables and other dry or processed food from four JA group stores. Most of these vegetables are distributed and sold in Kanazawa City, while only a small portion is later shipped to Tokyo, through the wholesale vegetable cooperative. There are more than 300 registered producers for this direct transport
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project (see Table 1), among whom in 2012 there were around 137 active members selling their products. Total sales accounted for around JPY 28 million in 2012, almost triple the sales in 2009. Five producers sold more than JPY one million’s worth of vegetables in 2012, and the highest sale totaled JPY 2 million. Another newly established parallel initiative for processing edible wild plants which uses the same transport routes, (edible wild plants are called sansai in Japanese; sansai will
be used below as the abbreviation for “edible wild plants”), began in the winter of 2012. Noto is endowed with a rich diversity of sansai, with about 200 species (Chen and Qiu 2012). However, sansai have seldom been sold in Kanazawa City; they are usually only for home consumption. The fresh vegetable initiative has been analyzed in this study, while the processed sansai initiative has been less intensively analyzed, as it was established in 2012, and will be discussed further in a future study.
Table 1 Fast growth of direct transport project Year
Sale amount (JPY)
Production amount (kg)
Producer number
number of product varieties
2009
10,305,373
29,835.90
208
269
2010
16,292,613
44,250.10
234
239
2011
26,559,499
89,681.10
281
237
2012
28,369,858
97,703.60
300
233
Source: Japanese Agriculture Cooperative (JA) Ohzora
4 4.1
Results Socio-economic impact of the small business upon farmers
We collected 32 completed questionnaires. Table 2 shows the demographic characteristics of the small farmers who participated, with 40% males and 53% females. The age distribution in Table 2 shows that over 90% of the participants are more than 60 years old. In other words, the majority of the active players in this project are of retirement age and above. Investigating participants’ attitudes toward this small agricultural business is an important component of the survey. As shown in Table 3, participants generally rank economic return (4.6), the safety of products (4.6), and preventing the abandonment of farmland (4.2) as the three most important reasons for their participation. This suggests that farmers take the management of the quality of their products very seriously. At the same time, food safety and product quality have also been a concern for JA and the prefectural office, who consider these issues as among the major barriers to small farmers’ engagement with markets, even though the farmers are very aware of their importance. The results in table 3 demonstrate that the farmers are very concerned about economic outcomes, as well as social benefits and wellbeing. Approximately 84% of respondents
stated they consider that income generation is important. The majority of respondents also agree farm work is good for their health (75%), they derive pleasure from vegetable growing (78%), and they value self-determination in farm operation and management (72%). Autonomous management is another important feature of this agricultural business. The top producer, Nanbo (female, 50s, sales of JPY 2 million in 2013) mentioned autonomous management as the biggest advantage of participating in this program. The sole farmer group was also interviewed. This farmer group, named Yumemori, was originally a gardening group. It consists of 15 farmers from nine households. The average age is 71.5 years, with two members in their eighties, seven in their seventies, five in their sixties, and the youngest 58. A very simple cottage was built at the side of group leader's (Ms. Sedo Miwako, 67) field. Coffee is provided and group members get together in this cottage almost every day. It was said that some members started to use a mobile phone only after they started this small business, in order to keep in close contact with their fellow farmers. Most of them commented that participating in the project kept them healthy. Otherwise, they said that they would stay at home all day long watching TV. With the support from the fellow farmers, they said that they have a strong desire to continue farming next year.
Table 2 Profile of the respondents Gender Male
Female
Age No response
40–49
50–59
60–69 9
Frequency
13
17
2
1
2
%
40.6
53.1
6.2
3.1
6.2
28.1
70–79
80–
17
3
53.1
9.4
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QIU Zhenmian, et al.: Empowerment of an Aging Population and Rural Women Farmers: a Small Business Model-A Japanese Case Study
Table 3 Summary of general attitude toward small agricultural business (N=32) Very important
Somewhat important
Neither agree nor disagree
no.
%
no.
%
no.
%
Income generation
20
62.5
7
21.9
3
Importance of product safety
21
65.6
8
25.0
Somewhat Unimportant no.
No response
Mean
%
no.
%
5-point scale
9.4
0.0
2
6.3
4.6
0.0
0.0
3
9.4
4.6
Importance of preventing land from abandonment
16
50.0
12
37.5
1
3.1
1
3.1
2
6.3
4.4
Importance of farm work for health
18
56.3
6
18.8
3
9.4
1
3.1
4
12.5
4.2
Importance of product appearance
17
53.1
10
31.3
0.0
5
15.6
4.2
Fun of crop growing
16
50.0
9
28.1
6.3
4
12.5
4.1
Importance of product taste
18
56.3
8
25.0
0.0
6
18.8
4.1
Technical support from JA
12
37.5
10
31.3
6
18.8
1
3.1
3
9.4
4.0
Self-determination of farm operation and management
15
46.9
8
25.0
3
9.4
1
3.1
5
15.6
3.9
Information exchange with friends
12
37.5
7
21.9
7
21.9
2
6.3
4
12.5
3.8
Knowledge of various vegetables
11
34.4
7
21.9
5
15.6
0.0
9
28.1
3.3
4.2
Management and marketing strategies to facilitate small farmers' participation
The small business program has turned surplus farm products into a new source of income regeneration. Paddy fields account for approximately 84% of the total cultivated farmland in Ishikawa Prefecture (MAFF 2011b). Rice is the major crop, and vegetables are grown for home consumption in the Noto Peninsula, due to the small scale of the fragmented land in the mountainous and hilly regions, as well as its distance from the city market. Vegetables have been cultivated on marginal farmland, far from the consumer market. The broker said that he had not seen any farm products shipped from Noto Peninsula before. The farmers also confirmed that previously they had to dispose of surplus stock, but they can now sell their surplus for additional income. Figure 2 shows a flow chart of shipping, marketing and information feedback for farm and forestry products. If farmers do not use packers or processors, they can receive higher prices by capturing some of the costs of the middlemen. The producers are also learning relevant skills about selling at higher prices, such as shifting from the cultivation of common species, that are mass-produced for mass consumption, to rare species that are in demand in a niche market, and greatly improving their packing skills. A broker also noted· that the prices increase approximately 20% if the product is beautifully packed. Another feature is that small farmers can readily sell surpluses of a small amount, mixed items of produce. The strict grading and packaging that occurs in a formal market outlet is not required in this program. Lower grade produce can be also transported to the wholesale market and sold. Moreover, farmers do not need significant financial investment for startup. In other words, the business is easy to establish, even for
0.0 1
3.1
2
0.0
beginners or older people, in terms of technical requirements and investment for startup. The business also features low capital input and a light manual workload, which is well suited to smallholders and older farmers. Rice growing requires costly labor-saving machinery and petroleum consumption, which are heavy financial burdens, and inefficient for small farmers. In contrast, vegetable growing does not depend heavily on machinery. Several participants considered this small business as a lifetime career until their death. A respondent (female, 74 yrs. old) who was a commercial pumpkin farmer, grew pumpkin on one ha with her husband in the past. She noted that she could manage this small business as an alternative to the past commercial farming due to her husband’s ageing. The participants mentioned that they were even rejuvenated by the small business due to the sale price competition with the fellow farmers. The vegetable price is fed back to the producers every day, when the auction is concluded. The sale price is sent to them at around 2:00 pm after the close of the wholesale market. This empirical study also reveals that the farmers choose their cultivation portfolio very flexibly, and can meet the diversifying market demand. The linkage to market information greatly motivates the farmers to produce good quality vegetables that sell at a high price in the market, and enables farmers to adjust their cultivation strategy. At the beginning of the project, farmers produced common vegetables, such as Japanese radish, onion, and cabbage. However, they found that they could not compete with other largescale commercial farmers. In order to compete effectively outside the large-scale wholesale market channels, the farmers shifted their operating strategy to the production of minor varieties, particularly colorful vegetables. They take advantage of small plots of land in mountainous and hilly areas, and diversify their cultivation to produce varieties for
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Fig. 2 Schematic diagram of farm and forestry product shipping, marketing and information feedback
niche markets. In response to the multiple-choice question “Where did you buy your vegetable seeds?” approximately two-thirds of the respondents said that they bought their seeds from a JA store. However, it is worth noting that about one third of the respondents chose mail order, and a small proportion (9.4 %) ordered from an online store (Table 4). Our survey suggests that small farmers have more options when they can extend their access to seeds through internet and mail order. Workshops about production technology, packing skills, and food safety are held regularly, to educate the farmers. Some farmers saw these get-togethers as precious opportunities to build networks and exchange information. An on-
site visit to the wholesale market is organized once a year. In the market, the farmers scrutinized the products, and the produce, which is set out the floor, waiting for the brokers to determine the price.
4.3
Sustainability of the small business through older people’s innovation
A number of questions were asked about the participants' plans for the scale of their cultivation and market supply, in order to understand the sustainability of the enterprise. Overall, this research suggests that the respondents take a conservative approach to the continuance of market supply. In response to the question “Do you want to continue to
Table 4 Summary of features of growing technology and marketing (percentages are in parentheses; N=32) Q1 Do you have any plan to change the market supply in terms of quantity or varieties? Increase
No change
Decrease
No response
Change of sale quantity to the market next year
10 (31.3)
14(43.8)
3 (9.4)
5 (15.6)
Change of vegetable varieties to the market next year
11 (31.4)
15 (46.8)
2 (6.3)
4 (12.5)
Q2 Do you want to continue growing next year? Absolutely will Will continue if possible 10 (31.3)
17 (53.1)
Don't know 2 (6.3)
Will not continue No response 1 (3.1)
2 (6.3)
Q3 How much do you apply pesticide, chemical fertilizer or organic manure to the crop? Same to conven- Half of conventional tional farming farming
Extremely small No application application
No response
Pesticide application
4 (12.5)
12(37.59
11 (34.4)
2 (6.2)
3(9.4)
Chemical fertilizer application
14 (43.8)
10 (31.4)
4 (12.5)
1 (3.1)
3 (9.4)
100% application
50% application
Extremely small application
No application
No response
5 (15.6)
15 (46.9)
8 (25)
1 (3.1)
3 (9.4)
Organic manure application
Q4 Where did you buy vegetable seeds from? (multiple choice) JA store
the other stores than JA
Mail order
online store
24 (66.7)
5 (15.6)
10 (31.2)
2 (6.2)
exchange home produce No response with friends seeds 1 (3.1)
5 (15.6)
Q5 How many vegetable species have you planted this year? 5 species
610 species
1115 species
16-20 species
10 (31.2)
7 (21.9)
1(3.1)
3 (9.4)
≥20 species No response 6(18.8)
5 (15.6)
5 (15.6)
QIU Zhenmian, et al.: Empowerment of an Aging Population and Rural Women Farmers: a Small Business Model-A Japanese Case Study
supply the market next year?” about one third of the respondents (31.3%) would certainly continue, and about half (53.1%) would continue if conditions allowed (Table 4). In response to the question, “Do you have any plans to change market supply in terms of quantity or varieties?” one third would increase the quantity or varieties next year (Table 4), while over 40% would keep a constant supply next year. Only a very small number of participants would reduce market supply. However, the rate of continuous market participation is likely to be overestimated in this survey, as the farmers who attended the Producers’ Anniversary Meeting may be the most active farmers, to some degree. The survey demonstrates that the producers grow a wide range of vegetables (Table 4). Approximately 28% of the respondents produce more than 16 species of vegetables. Farmers use little chemical input in their vegetable production, and environmental concerns about vegetable production were not mentioned either by the farmers or by JA.
4.4
Challenges
The problems and challenges of this project, based on interviews with key informants from Ishikawa Prefecture and the JA staff, are summarized below. The major factors that concern these stakeholders include the age of the producers, and the quality and quantity of products. (1) Most of the participants are older than 60 years of age. It is vital to attract younger people to participate in the project. (2) The amount of sales per farmer is still too small. Among the total of more than 300 registered suppliers, there are only 19 whose sales reach or exceed JPY 0.5 million. It is important to secure annual sales of more than JPY 0.5 million, which is considered as the minimum to be classified as a commercial farming household, according to the Census (MAFF 2011a). (3) The sale price of sansai is volatile. Because production and harvest times for vegetables and sansai are concentrated in a short period, the JA group has instructed producers to endeavor to sell more than JPY 0.3 million during the harvest period, in order to secure a certain amount of annual revenue. (4) It is difficult to estimate the production amount. At present, the majority of edible plants are harvested from the mountain forest or its surroundings. It is very difficult therefore to inform the wholesale dealers when, what, and how much can be provided for the wholesale market. (5) It is urgent that the quality of vegetables produced by small producers in small quantities is enhanced. Solutions proposed by JA include strengthening technical support to farmers for sansai cultivation to provide a stable supply to the market, and requesting farmers to submit their production and sale plans at the beginning of each year.
5 5.1
491
Discussion Empowering small farmers, older farmers and women
One of significant lessons from this project is fully utilizing older people and empowering small farmers, particularly women, in remote regions. Traditionally, aging and old age has been described as a "problem" (Powell and Biggs 2000). This Japanese case study reveals that older people's participation in productive activities enhances rural viability. In the face of declining rural communities, the older population is the major actor that contributes to local food security and the local economy (Sugita and Aizawa 2010). Our findings are consistent with research in developed countries in Europe that notes that older people should be seen a potential resource in rural communities, instead of solely the recipients of care (Walsh and O’Shea, 2008). They contribute to rural sustainability (Davis et al. 2012). At the same time, farmers have a positive attitude about the overall benefits to them of economic income, improvement in their health, and their links to the external environment of the market. The farmers have made independent farm operation and cultivation decisions. Autonomous management, and outside support from urban areas, are considered two major factors for agricultural business success in rural areas. (Onishi 2012). As is the case in other countries, women have been playing a more and more important role in rural development (Janvry and Sadoulet 2002). Our case study in the Noto Peninsula suggests that women can actively engage with the labor-intensive cultivation of vegetables and value-added production of food processing. It is argued that women's entrepreneurship contributes to increases in household income and in human capital asset accumulation (Uemura 2012). Small-scale economic activities contribute to a better quality of life and a higher level of well-being; thus, they enhance the social capital that motivates a household to remain in a declining area (Markantoni and Hoven 2012).
5.2
The importance of interaction with the market
An active interaction of individual farmers with the market, and access to market information, raises the sale price of the produce, and significantly motivates the participation of small farmers. Some farmers stated that they access the internet for vegetable growing technologies. This direct marketing model has small farmers highly exposed to the market. Thus, the farmers have to adapt their operating strategy in order to take advantage of the market price. Revenue largely depends on farmers' individual judgment of market demand and their farming endeavors. On the other side of the coin, small farmers are also highly motivated since their individual efforts directly impact on the market price. The ability to adapt to changes, and willingness to respond to market demands, is an important aspect of rural
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development strategies (Terluin 2003). Knowledge of the influence of external conditions, markets and policies is one key reason for rural rejuvenation programs (Mog 2004). The study found that women are intent on keeping up with the changing demands of the food market, and successful in projecting the “local,” “traditional,” and the “homemade” character of their products (Anthopoulou 2010).
5.3
Technical assistance from JA and the agricultural technology extension of the prefectural office
It is worth noting that technical support from JA and the prefectural office is an indispensable factor in the production and sale growth in Noto. It is well recognized that the commercialization of smallholders can significantly contribute to improvement in household food security and economic growth (Timmer 1997; Fafchamps 2005). Research in developing countries also suggests that farmers, particularly small farmers, benefit economically from participation in producer cooperatives (Bernard and Spielman 2009; Ito et al. 2012). Technical support from JA and local government has played a crucial role, particularly at the beginning of the program. Administrative support has been identified as one of the major factors for the success of local initiatives (Hojo and Hirota 2010). Direct access to formal outlets offers higher income returns to the farmers, however, farmers need to be more organized in terms of product quality and business management (Kaganzi et al. 2009). Dependence on technological assistance from cooperatives and administrative organizations also helps to enhance reciprocal trust with local farmers; and trust is considered an important factor for rural development. Rural communities that are strongly connected through trust, reciprocity, exchanges, and social networks, appear to have a high capacity to respond to disturbances (Murphy 2007).
6
Conclusion and brief policy implications
This study provides new knowledge to add to the debate about alternative mechanisms to improve the health, economic, and social circumstances of the aging rural population, using a small business initiative. It found that the older people who are involved say their health and economic situation improved through participating in vegetable cultivation and sales. This case study in Noto Peninsula suggests a new small business model that takes full advantage of local resources, such as very small-scale farm plots, an aging population, and women’s knowledge of food processing. Although the prevalent understanding of “rural development” has been equated with larger scale production with fewer workers, it has been argued that this is ill suited to the establishment of innovation networks (Murdoch 2000). Some lessons from this case study can be identified: the empowerment of older people and women farmers, through active interaction with
the market and learning new technologies, including internet-based information search strategies. Local administrations have overemphasized economic indicators as measures of local development. This study suggests that a rural development policy should take an inclusive approach to rural regeneration, including economic, social, and environmental aspects. In the face of the global challenges of an aging demographic, and overconsumption of imported resources, a strategy of modest growth and a green economy, and improving human happiness and wellbeing, is proposed for future growth (Atkisson 2012). Governments should revise their program evaluation methods to account for broader development impacts and human capacity programs (Bingen et al. 2003). While the number of participating farmers and their incomes are important indicators of a project’s success, the long-term goal of social capital improvement should be also considered in local development (Kaganzi et al. 2009). The case study results suggest that a local support organization (in this case the conventional agricultural cooperative of JA), is needed to provide assistance. Although JA provided farmers with only some basic growing technologies similar to a traditional marketing outlet, in order to achieve program success, other elements, such as diversifying farm products, branding, and agricultural value chains are less important in this program. Support organizations can also encourage farmers to reduce the chemical input to aid sustainable development. Organic farming has been shown to have the potential to secure wider rural development benefits, due to the increased labor input associated with organic production, and the likely linkages between organic farms and the local economy (Midmore and Dirks 2003; Renting et al. 2003; Seyfang 2006). This small business model is also sustainable, with much less environmental impact compared with a large-scale business. Larger-scale farms generally create greater environmental costs. Small-scale farmers that produce for local markets are likely to create a sustainable agricultural system (Rigby and Caceres 2001). This case study is still in the inception phase and the support system still involves only governmental bodies and the conventional organization of Japanese Agricultural Cooperatives. A more innovative support system that engaged with a wider range of participants, such as Non Profit Organizations (NPOs), would be expected in the future. The social services provided by a rural NPO are also important for rural community vitality (Taniguchi 2007; Akiyama 2009; Oda 2010). However, several limitations and oversimplified analyses in this study need to be mentioned. First, the survey sample for the quantitative element is very small, due to the advanced age of the participants. Only 32 copies of the questionnaires sheets were collected and analyzed. As a result, the data used in this analysis may be biased. The sansai processing program was established in 2012, therefore analysis of this important part of the business, is very little
QIU Zhenmian, et al.: Empowerment of an Aging Population and Rural Women Farmers: a Small Business Model-A Japanese Case Study
discussed. Acknowledgements We would like to thank Mr. Shigenobu Fujita and Satoshi Hamatani from Japanese Agricultural Cooperatives (JA) Ohzora for their support in questionnaire survey and helpful introductions to key informants.
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Journal of Resources and Ecology Vol. 7 No. 6, 2016
农户小型经济与资源可持续利用-以日本老龄和妇女农户经济为例 邱振勉 1,2，陈碧霞 3 1. 日本金泽大学环日本海域研究中心，石川县金泽市 920-1192，日本； 2. 福建师范大学经济学院，福州 350108； 3. 日本琉球大学农学部，冲绳县 903-0213，日本
摘
要：本论文结合问卷调研和访谈的方法，讨论了一个日本农村的“跨产业高附加值的农业创新经济模式”的社会经济
意义。该模式鼓励农民出售农家的种植的少量蔬菜和林产品等，比如，腌制山菜，晒干的山菜，还有自家小块地里生产的蔬菜。 当地农协在各个收购点收集农民的产品，当天内用卡车运到到省会城市的批发市场出售，或是出售给当地的饭店和宾馆。我们讨 论了该模式的特色，总结其好的经验，以及所面临的问题。我们发现该模式的参加农户普遍表示由于参加山菜和其他蔬菜的种植 栽培和售卖，他们的身体健康以及经济条件均得到了改善。由于生产和出售很少数量的蔬菜和山菜也可以参与农协的该经济模式 给了老龄农户和女性农户很大的积极性。这项研究提供了在偏僻农村里改善农村的老龄化社会的健康状况和经济状况有一定的参考 价值。 关键词：人口老龄化; 贫困地区; 农民健康; 农村再生; 赋予女性权利
