農村のコミュニティ再編におけるソーシャルビジネスの意義

―高知県四万十川流域を事例として―

抄録

This paper aims to understand the efficiency of social business and making use of the profits thus generated, for revitalizing and reorganizing rural communities and solving social problems.
I have analyzed case studies in Shimanto Town in Kochi Prefecture, where social businesses make use of natural resources for selling goods and services in rural areas; these goods and services retain the intrinsic value of natural r esources and the flavor of local culture. One such case study looks at “Shimanto Drama,” a company that manages the Towa Road station, for displaying and selling some of the goods made from local produce. The other case study covers “Okamisanichi”, an organization run by farmwomen for selling vegetables and items of local cuisine at farmers’ markets and organizing agri-tourism.
I have analyzed the characteristics of these case studies and discussed the possibility of developing social business as a tool for reorganizing and revitalizing the rural community for solving problems in rural areas.