Lease and Usage Conditions of Productive Green Land by Urban Farms

Abstract

The act on the lease of green productive land is expected to encourage motivated farmers to contribute to the sustainable development of urban agriculture. However, the purpose of farmland leasing and actual use of leased farmland by farmers have not yet been fully clarified. Therefore, in this study, we conducted case studies of farmers who actually leased production green lands in Tokyo and a questionnaire survey of all farmers in six cities. First, the results of the case studies indicate that, in addition to the expansion of scale, the purposes of leasing farmland included the introduction of new crops and farming methods, the establishment of agricultural corporations, and the new entries. In particular, it was an opportunity for successors and new entrants to take on new challenges. Second, the results of the questionnaire survey indicated that the potential tenant farmers showed the entrepreneurial characteristics. They placed the greatest importance on the farming conditions, while the landowners focused on the management of farmland in harmony with the local community. On the other hand, these preferences differed between farmers already participating in leasing transactions and others.