Scaling Organic Rice Production Through Community Farming Corporations

Evidence from Farm Hirose in Echizen City, Japan

Abstract

This paper presents an empirical analysis demonstrating the effectiveness of community farming in advancing large-scale organic rice production. Specifically, it examines the production system, marketing structure, and financial performance of a community farming corporation that manages all of its fields organically. Key factors enabling full organic cultivation included reduced production costs and improved operational efficiency achieved through economies of scale, made possible by farmland consolidation and integration within the community farming framework, as well as the resolution of major cultivation challenges. In addition, the study highlights the importance of developing human resources with expertise in cultivation practices and production management.