Roles and Issues of Support Organizations for Dairy Farm Succession: A Case Study of the Honshu Regions in Japan

Abstract

This research clarified the roles and challenges of support organizations through interviews with dairy farmers and members of those organizations based on the Honshu region’s initiatives regarding third-party inheritance of dairy farms. We selected four regions with different types of support organizations. The results revealed that the structure of council-style support organizations enables centralization and information sharing, while contributing to a smooth transfer of property for both the original owners and successors. Second, while those in charge of support organizations knew the identities of individuals who would be leaving farming, they did not compile or disclose such information. Third, the residents living near a farm that was being transferred to a third party objected to the new proprietors for reasons, such as environmental degradation, and council-style support organizations were unable to cope with this type of problem.