In recent years, animal welfare has been attracting attention worldwide, and livestock production must take this into account. However, compared to Europe and the U.S., where the concept of animal welfare is widespread, most consumers in Japan are unfamiliar with the idea of animal welfare, and producers are lagging far behind. On top of that, there is not enough research in Japan on the market evaluation of livestock products that are animal welfare-friendly. This study quantitatively analyzed consumer evaluations of GAP labeling, HACCP labeling, AW labeling, place of origin labeling, and price of milk in a choice experiment. An adapted mixed logit model was used to analyze 2,592 data points obtained from 324 consumers living in Hokkaido and Tokyo. The results showed that consumers evaluated AW labeling positively, although regional differences were observed, and that the marginal willingness to pay increased costs for animal welfare was about 19 yen in Hokkaido and about 33 yen in Tokyo.

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This study clarifies the conditions for forming fresh vegetable production areas on remote islands. As a case study, we analyzed the green soybean production area on Irabu Island in Okinawa Prefecture. We clarified that it is necessary to secure stable shipment volume for the large consumer markets, secure labor and social capital such as collecting and shipping facilities as well as human resources, and maintain product freshness. Based on the results of this case analysis, the conditions for forming fresh vegetable production area on remote islands are summarized as follows. The first necessity is to contract a production and shipping support system. The second condition is collaboration with other crop producers and industries to secure a labor force. The third condition is to secure joint use or cooperative use of cold storage facilities together with other industries. With efforts ensuring that these conditions are addressed, fresh vegetable production areas capable of producing stable shipment volume while maintaining freshness can be initiated even on remote islands.

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In this article, we clarified what constitutes good management strategy for entrepreneurial farm businesses that sustain rural society in the agriculturally disadvantageous areas. Using a partial Porter’s value chain analysis, we extracted elements of management strategy for the farm business by analyzing the business performance of two enterprises involved in farming business in Hiroshima Prefecture. Entrepreneurial farm businesses are expected to contribute to sustaining Japan’s agriculture. However, there are many problems that must be overcome to succeed. To address these, management strategy as an approach encompassing an enterprise-community relationship is needed. The results of the research clarified that constructing a management strategy that creates deep partnerships with rural community, that solves rural problems according to the company’s strengths, and that aims to the company’s development are important.

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This paper reports on analysis of the factors of retail price formation of Wagyu beef parts by the time-series analysis and the multiple regression analysis using monthly data of the past 29 years up to 2020 and after the beef import tariff measures (beef import liberalization). The results show that for all response variables, the retail price of imported beef from Australia of same parts and the retail price of domestic pork fluctuate in the same direction. However, these results are not statistically significant up to 5% of the t-test with the retail price of imported pork. Wagyu beef parts have a strong alternative relation with domestic pork as well as Australian beef of same parts, but are less affected by imported pork, which is relatively inexpensive. It was also clarified that the retail prices of Wagyu beef parts are positively correlated with the retail prices of Australian beef of same parts. This result indicates that the same meats are in an alternative relation. Furthermore, it was clarified that the retail prices of Wagyu beef chuck roll, Wagyu beef brisket and Wagyu beef round showed an opposite movement to the ending stocks, and that the ending stocks greatly affect the retail price formation for Wagyu beef parts. Beef is a fresh food and a certain extent of time by refrigeration and freezing can preserve it, but it is difficult to keep it in good condition for a long time. Therefore, an increase of ending stocks leads to a decrease in price.

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Regarding promotion of the use of unused biomass such as rice straw, the collection process has already been the subject of much research. When using unused biomass that is widely dispersed in the field, the method and the cost incurred for collection have become a bottleneck for the promotion of its use. In order to collect and use such biomass efficiently, it is indispensable to increase the scale of the collection process and improve the profitability. In South Korea, where the production structure of rice cultivation is very similar to that of Japan, there has been no academic research undertaken on rice straw. Therefore, the case of Japan will be very helpful in analyzing the behavior of rice straw collectors and distributors in South Korea. In order to clarify the actual conditions and functions of large-scale rice straw collectors and distributors in South Korea in recent years, the present research analyzed the socio-economic base and background of biomass collection and distribution, focusing on the case of a specific rice straw collector and distributor (Company H), which has been rapidly expanding its business. The area of rice paddy contracted with Company H has increased from 2009 to 2020, and will expand to a wide area of distribution both within, and the outside the province. At the same time, Company H has been pursuing efficiency in sales by centering on the livestock cooperatives that are large-scale purchasers and who make round bale silage with rice straw. It has been building its existence base via the intensification of working farmland and improvement in collection efficiency.

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