Japan’s agricultural structure is experiencing rapid change, and it is essential to re-evaluate the relationship between intergenerational farm transfer and agricultural structural reform. Research suggests that the structural reform of agriculture could solve the issue of farm transfer in Japan. However, a new problem has emerged under an advanced agricultural structure, with a declining birth rate that has led to fewer children taking over their family farm business. Weakening norms of agricultural engagement, equal inheritance, and the need for advanced managerial skills post-agricultural structural reform are topics that require further exploration. Even if an agricultural structural reform addresses the issues associated with a traditional agricultural structure, it remains uncertain whether these reforms can eliminate the farm transfer issue in Japan.

This study examines the problems arising from intergenerational farm transfer in an advanced agricultural structure. We aim to determine the issues associated with farm transfer in Hokkaido agriculture, which is regarded as the most advanced agricultural structure in Japan. Notably, several large-scale farm businesses are struggling to secure successors. While support for new entrants has already been established, the transfer of farm businesses and assets is complex.

The results of this study are examined from a reflexive modernity theoretical perspective. The findings indicate that fundamentally resolving the farm transfer issue in Japan under an advanced agricultural structure is challenging although piecemeal social engineering can be partially effective in alleviating the problem.

Management Actions of Family centered Rice Farming Entities in Response to Structural Changes in Paddy Farming. Using a case study of large-scale rice farming in Chiba Prefecture, we organized and analyzed managers’ choices and specific responses, and clarified how large-scale rice farming has evolved in response to policy and structural changes. Furthermore, we focused on the succession of management as a family business and issues impeding its development.

This study aims to clarify the management status of older farmers with undetermined successors, farmers’ actions to downsize management, and their awareness of their retirement. Survey results revealed that older farmers tend to give up their farmland under unfavorable conditions and with low profitability, thereby downsize management. In addition, there is no expected age of retirement in farming, and the presence of potential successors increases farming motivation and achieves relatively high management results.

The promotion of female farmers is necessary for the sustainable development of agriculture. Considering the ageing of female farmers, identifying and training the next generation of farmers is essential. However, as female farmers are scattered throughout rural communities, the government faces limitations in approaching them. This study investigates the means of connecting female farmers using personal network analysis, which focuses on the relationships between individuals. Furthermore, as previous studies have demonstrated gender differences in personal networks, this study compares the characteristics of personal networks of men and those of women to determine the network formation methods necessary for promoting the activities of female farmers. The characteristics of personal networks between men, between women, and across generations are confirmed. The study proposes that young female farmers should be provided with a “gateway” group and should be encouraged to make effective use of unofficial relationships such as friendships.

The production of soybeans in Brazil is predominantly associated with land cleared through deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, attracting significant criticism for its environmental impact. However, the emergence of soybean producers with environmental awareness has been reported in previous studies. This study aimed to examine the challenges in transitioning to environmentally conscious production activities by comprehensively understanding producers’ interest in environmental issues and organic cultivation through meticulous interviews and text mining. Although high environmental awareness was observed among producers, challenges such as poor farming conditions, underdeveloped markets for organic agricultural products, and complexity of organic cultivation systems were identified.

This study demonstrates the advantages of reducing heating costs, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and crude oil consumption using energy-saving systems and the negative impacts of rising energy prices in the cultivation of greenhouse winter–spring strawberries in Nasushiobara City, in Tochigi.

We gained three insights in this case study. First, farmers benefited from reduced energy consumption. Second, GHG emissions and crude oil consumption reduced when farmers used a heat pump and circulation fans and decreased the operation time of heavy oil-heating systems. Thus, the use of energy-saving technology provides environmental benefits; however, a rise in energy costs can burden farmers financially.

Agrovoltaics, which is farm-based photovoltaic power generation, has been attracting attention in recent years as an approach to improve both productivity and sustainability in agriculture. However, public awareness regarding agrovoltaics is limited, and its social significance is not fully understood. This study examined the significance of agrovoltaics from the perspective of consumers in tourist farms. The analysis revealed that consumers recognized the benefits of agrovoltaic canopies in tourist farms. Generally, consumers did not appreciate the implementation of solar power generation. However, the implementation of photovoltaic power generation was appreciated by consumers who had experience of tourist farms and knowledge about agrovoltaics.

This study investigates the changing attitudes of agricultural corporation managers toward merger and acquisition (M&A) and the role of support agencies in this regard. Results revealed that a greater proportion of agricultural corporations had a positive attitude change regarding M&A compared with medium-sized enterprises. However, no positive change in attitude toward divestment could be confirmed among some management entities based on farm type, history of establishment, and number of stakeholders such as shareholders. In addition, legal support and coordination with the community and business partners were essential requests made of support organizations. These results reveal that when M&A is considered a method of management succession, support organizations are required to provide support tailored to the management attributes and actual conditions of agricultural enterprises.

In this study, consumer evaluations of the ethical aspects of meat substitutes were examined using soybean meat as a case study to determine the attributes of consumers who are likely to be affected by information provision. To measure the benefits of information provision on meat alternatives, including non-utilization value, consumers’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) was determined using the contingent valuation method. As individuals have different knowledge and information processing abilities, a multilevel analysis was conducted to consider the impact of heterogeneity on the interpretation of information. Results revealed that consumers with higher knowledge levels, higher understanding of environmental impact, and higher frequency of purchasing minced meat responded positively to information provision on soybean meat in terms of WTP, whereas consumers who were more averse to novel foods and more concerned about nutrients in conventional meat responded negatively to information provision.

This study examines volunteers’ satisfaction with farm-support volunteer activities and farms’ managerial attitudes in urban farms. We conducted principal component analysis to determine volunteers’ satisfaction; we also performed correlation and principal component analysis of volunteer attributes and mean comparisons of the data collected through a questionnaire survey administered to the volunteers on three farms in Tokyo. Results revealed that communication with farm employees and interpersonal relationships among farm employees particularly contribute to the overall satisfaction of volunteers. Satisfaction tendencies are also related to farms’ management of volunteer activities and the sociability of volunteers. Upon comparing these satisfaction tendencies and farms’ attributes, it was found that matching volunteers’ satisfaction tendencies and farms’ managerial attitudes; for example, doing volunteer tasks and taking rests with volunteers, or explaining purposes of volunteer tasks and sharing information about crops actively, is important to make farm-support volunteers more active.

Recent institutional developments have made the leasing and creation of urban farmland a new alternative for farmland owners to promote farmland conservation. Owners face several challenges related to farmland conservation, such as securing successors, passing on farm assets to the next generation, and the lack of management resources for farm development. Through a case study in Tokyo, we clarified the relationship between various issues experienced by farmland owners and farmland leasing and creation. We confirmed that the establishment of an agricultural corporation through farmland leasing can lead to the advancement of management and the securing of successors; further, the conversion of unused land to farmland can reduce tax burdens. However, the creation of farmland may face challenges in terms of the quality of the created farmland and farm development.

In recent years, beef cattle breeding and raising have been expanding rapidly in response to the increasing demand for beef in China. However, beef cattle breeding is mainly managed by individual farmers, and differences in the technical efficiency of farmers have become a major challenge for improving productivity and profitability. Therefore, this study focuses on Inner Mongolia—an important livestock production base in China—and aims to identify the factors that create differences in farmers’ technical efficiency using data from 118 households obtained through interviews. Results indicate that the technical efficiency of beef cattle breeding farmers can be improved by acquiring skills through the Internet and by accessing veterinarians with high expertise outside the local area. Further, a large number of breeding cows are found to decrease technical efficiency due to the lack of care.

Generational change in farm management is an issue in Japan; however, few studies have focused on the involvement of predecessors in a corporation after a generational change. In this study, interviews were conducted with three community farm corporations in Shimane Prefecture. Results reveal the impact of predecessors’ involvement on the management of a corporation. First, this involvement depended on the characteristics of the corporation and the surrounding environment. Second, predecessors’ involvement restricted the initiatives of their successors, but a certain degree of autonomy was ensured. Third, predecessors are still highly motivated to manage the corporation after the generational change, and there is a need to provide opportunities for predecessors to play an active role in the management of the corporation.

Sugarcane is one of Thailand’s major crops and export commodities subjected to regulatory law. However, despite its economic importance, only approximately 30% of farmers employ machine harvesting introduced by the government and mills. Hence, this study aims to understand why farmers do not use harvesting machines by clarifying sugarcane cultivation practices, shipping methods, and sugarcane harvesting costs and prices, focusing on Thailand’s major sugarcane production areas. The results reveal that 1) harvesting machines require sufficient space for rows and U-turns, thus farmers need to prepare before planting season. 2) harvesting machines increase production costs compared with non-machine methods, regardless of insignificant differences in the selling prices of sugarcane. Finally, 3) sugar mills predominantly collect sugarcane through the “Quota system” of contract farming, however, the fixed price provided by the system forces farmers to look for better shipping methods. The aforementioned factors might hinder small-scale farmers from using harvesting machines.

This study aims to elucidate the factors ensuring the legitimacy of organizations that have been established in recent years throughout Japan to manage local autonomy. The subject of this study is the T Committee, a resource conservation organization in Yokote City, Akita Prefecture, Japan. The results revealed the following. First, the organization should be designed to cover all households in the community. To establish such an organization, a preparatory organization is built with selected individuals; this selection is important for the intended purpose. Second, it is necessary to use existing local kinship organizations. Mutual support and checks and balances in a community where residents have a “face-to-face” relationship with each other can contribute to the smooth operation of the organization. Third, it is necessary to plan and execute public activities that interest several residents and to maintain responsiveness and openness among members.