This study proposes a method to grasp the actual state of producing area brand differentiation in the fruit and vegetable wholesale market where heterogeneous actual users have come to coexist. The features of this approach are as follows: (1) parallelism is assumed in the evaluation differences and the price differences between producing area brands during the evaluation period, (2) a multi-attribute evaluation function is estimated using a dominance type analytic hierarchy process for each type of actual user, and (3) weights are assigned to heterogeneous actual users from published pooled market data of price differences between producing area brands. Using these weights, the positioning of production area brands in a characteristic space where the scale is common to unit price can be clarified and the horizontal and vertical differentiation between production area brands for heterogeneous actual users visualized.

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Ensuring a healthy and satisfying diet is an important issue in Japanese dietary practices. This study aimed to identify the components of current dietary satisfaction using a questionnaire survey and factor analysis. The correlation between dietary satisfaction and dietary and nutritional intake statuses to achieve a healthy and satisfying dietary life was examined. Additionally, we discussed future issues to include not only consumers but also food providers based on our results. This online survey included 1,043 individuals aged 15–69. As dietary satisfaction is influenced by various factors related to eating habits, gender and age were analyzed in the survey. The results revealed that food satisfaction comprised of seven factors, namely, “convenience,” “dietary environment,” “variety,” “preference,” “healthiness and safety,” “eating together” and “physiological sufficiency.” Among all, “preference” was the most significant factor in food satisfaction, while “healthiness and safety” ranked lowest. “Convenience” tended to decrease while “healthiness and safety” increased with age. Notably, “convenience” was a key factor for all genders and ages except for women in their 40s and 60s, whereas “healthiness and safety” was emphasized mainly by men in their 30s and 50s and women over 30. Correlation analyses with dietary statuses revealed a negative association between “convenience” and “dietary balance,” indicating the need for strategies to promote a healthy diet through convenient meal options.

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Protein transition involves a shift in consumption from animal- to plant-based products, and it has become a dominant discourse in Western societies. However, how non-Western societies, including Japan, should respond to this new dietary paradigm remains unclear. This study presents a comprehensive review of protein transition policies in selected European countries, such as Denmark, the Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom. It reveals that protein transition policies in Europe involve various guidelines that covers the entire food systems, extending from protein crop policies to research and innovation of alternative proteins, sustainable public catering, revision of dietary guidelines, and food education. However, the major policy orientation is to push the consumption of alternative proteins, leaving the fundamental controversy regarding the ethics of eating meat unresolved. Learning from Europe, a protein strategy at the national level needs to be developed in Japan, with some adaptation to fully embrace the complexity of protein transition.

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FAO considers “sustainability” as a new component of food security. Climate change and biodiversity are critical components of “sustainability” of environmental bases in food security. In order to evaluate food security, it is necessary as a short-term measure to apply the existing indicators from Global Food Security Index and other indicators. In the middle to long term, it will be necessary to introduce new indicators for uncertain and risk factors such as climate change, biodiversity loss and others, which are not included in the current FAO indicators, and to incorporate them into the FAO indicators for evaluating future food security.

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This study examines how the export uncertainty of burgeoning exporting countries affects the wheat markets in Southeast Asia. Global crises have caused tensions to deteriorate in the global wheat market, which has led various countries to impose export restrictions. By using the residual demand elasticity model to account for the oligopolistic market structure, this study finds that some exporters possess market power in Southeast Asia, with changes in the quantities of exports affecting importers’ unit value. The research concludes that multiple exporters possess market power, while compounded crises could affect the unit value of imported wheat in Southeast Asia.

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