Considering the Balance between Environmental Conservation and Economic Viability in Agricultural Sector

Abstract

This study offers a comprehensive investigation into the viability of harmonizing environmental conservation with economic viability in the agricultural sector. First, we delve into historical endeavors to strike this balance and outline the strategy for sustainable food systems (the Strategy MIDORI), Japan’s foundational policy for promoting sustainable agriculture and food systems. Next, we introduce various methods and targeted initiatives aimed at achieving both environmental conservation and economic viability, while assessing the requisites for realizing this equilibrium within the agricultural sector.

Even in farm management, environmental conservation should no longer be a concern solely for environmentally inclined farmers but should necessitate engagement from every farmer. To achieve sustainable farm management in the “VUCA” era, which is characterized by uncertainty, it is important to fully consider how to cope with emerging risks as well as how to balance the environment and the economy. While economic viability is competitively dealt with at the farm management (micro level), environmental conservation requires cooperative and collective (macro level) actions among certain groups such as communities, municipalities, and regions. Balancing microcompetition and macrocooperation is key to achieving both environmental conservation and economic viability. Running a business considering only one factor, such as profit maximization, is outdated. Future farm management must account for many more factors beyond environmental conservation and economic viability, necessitating farm managers to consider risk management. This will require a keen sense of capture of the latest trends and the exercise of discernment in making well-balanced management decisions.