Sustainable Agricultural Practices and Market for Organic Products: An Empirical Analysis in Shiga Prefecture, Japan

在该项目的第一年，我调查了日本滋贺县目前的可持续农业促进政策和可持续农业实践的好处。这些数据是从2023年7月至11月对三个城市的112名稻农进行的问卷调查和对6名关键线人的深入采访中获得的。另一方面，还从这些调查区的8块稻田采集了土壤样本。研究结果表明，滋贺县的可持续水稻种植带来了环境效益，特别是土壤肥力。另一方面，它面临着挑战，涉及到与传统农业相比每10a降低37.4公斤的生产率，以及区域农民长期从事可持续农业的动机。面对可持续水稻种植效益低、消费下降和销售价格低的几个挑战，稻农现在正在逐步减少他们的水稻耕地，转向其他可以带来更高效益的作物，如小麦或大豆。其他一些国家正在结合常规水稻种植(即主食、加工大米、饲用大米)，在其农田上部分实施可持续的水稻种植。可持续农业的直接支付计划不足以支持生态农民。最近，该政策进行了更新，以促进水稻转向其他水稻品种和其他战略作物。与此同时，这也给稻农及其决策带来了巨大的挑战。

In the first year of the project, I investigated the current promotion policies for sustainable agriculture and the benefits of sustainable agricultural practices in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. The data were obtained from a questionnaire survey with 112 rice farmers and in-depth interviews with six key informants in three cities from July to November 2023. On the other hand, soil samples were also collected from eight paddy fields in these surveyed areas. The result of this research reported that sustainable rice farming in Shiga Prefecture brings the environmental benefits, especially soil fertility. On the other hand, it faces challenges concerning for to lower productivity of 37.4 kg per 10a compared to conventional farming and regional farmers’ motivation for sustainable agriculture in the long term. Facing several challenges of low benefits of sustainable rice farming, a decline in consumption, and low selling prices, rice farmers now are gradually reducing their cultivated land for rice and shifting to other crops like wheat or soybeans which can bring higher benefits. Some others are partially implementing sustainable rice farming on their farmland in combination with conventional rice farming (i.e., for staple food, processing rice, feeding rice). The direct payment schemes for sustainable agriculture become insufficient for supporting eco-farmers. Recently, that policy has been updated to promote the conversion of rice to other rice varieties and other strategic crops. Simultaneously, it generates big challenges for rice farmers and their decision-making.