Geographical Study on Pluriactivity and its Function for Sustaining Rural Communities.

在日本，兼职农业的兴起通常被认为是一种消极趋势，它构成了从全职农业到最终放弃农业的过渡阶段。然而，一个家庭内的农业活动与非农业活动相结合，在德国被称为多活动、多工种农业或erwerbskcombination，在世界其他地区被认为是更积极的。多元化在工业化国家很常见，可被视为小型家庭农场生存的一种策略。在日本，多元化的家庭农场在维护当地社区和环境以及预防自然灾害方面发挥着重要作用。然而，日本不重视多元化的重要性，这与欧洲形成鲜明对比，欧洲通过农业和区域政策支持多元化。本研究在日本界定了不同类型的多元活动，呈现了每种类型在日本国内的空间分布，探讨了维持多元活动的区域条件，并考虑了多元活动对维持农村社区的功能。通过提供兼职工作为农民家庭带来额外收入，多元化活动在日本发挥了保留农村人口和社区的作用。但是，农业部门和其他部门之间的收入差距仍然存在。与欧洲的情况一样，日本的农业和区域政策应支持多元化，将其作为农村和区域可持续性的关键因素。

The rise of part-time farming is usually considered to be a negative trend in Japan constituting a transitional phase from full-time farming to the eventual abandonment of farming. However, agricultural activity combined with non-agricultural activities within a household, referred to as pluriactivity, multiple-job holding farming or Erwerbskombination in Germany, is seen in a more positive light in other parts of the world. Pluriactivity is common in industrialized countries and it can be considered to be a strategy for small-scale family farms to survive. Family farms with pluriactivity have an important role in maintaining local communities and the environment as well as in preventing natural hazards in Japan. However, the importance of pluriactivity is not appreciated in Japan, in sharp contrast with Europe where pluriactivity receive support through agricultural and regional policies. In this study different kinds of pluriactivity are identified in Japan, the spatial distribution of each type within the country is presented, the regional conditions which maintain pluriactivity are treated and the function of pluriactivity for sustaining rural communities is considered.By providing part-time work which generates additional income for farm families, pluriactivity has functioned to retain rural population and communities in Japan. However, the difference in income between the agricultural sector and other sectors remains. As occurs in Europe, agricultural and regional policies in Japan should support pluriactivity as a key element in rural and regional sustainability.