ABSTRACT
Japan’s agriculture sector faces pressing challenges, including a shrinking and aging workforce and rising distribution costs for agricultural products. To address these issues, this study aims to develop community-based economic model based on local production for local consumption. The model leverages the close proximity of urban and rural areas in Kansai, which is one of the region’s unique advantages.
Specifically, the project will conduct empirical research based on surveys in three areas: (1) securing agricultural labor in rural areas, (2) expanding sales channels in urban areas, and (3) establishing efficient, small-scale distribution systems between the two.
Research Leader: Masaya NAKATSUKA
Senior Research Fellow, APIR
Professor, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University
