일본의 환경보전형 농업경영의 평가와 정책적 과제

The Performance Evaluation and Prospect of Japanese Sustainable Farming

This paper gives an evaluation for the profitability of sustainable farming systems of Japan, by using the data series 1998, 2000, 2004 of eco-farmer and organic farmer surveys conduced by MAFF. Eco- and organic farmers have rapidly increased these years. The high profitability of eco-label agricultural products is thought as being the main factor that supports the development of sustainable farming. However, significant income difference among the farmers is arresting the development of sustainable farming systems and the growth of eco-and organic farmers. Moreover, the surplus production from conventional farming system is found to be a critical factor resulting in the decline in prices of eco-label products. The policies aimed to improve this situation are therefore needed.