Two studies were conducted to examine the impact of organic rice farming on biodiversity conservation in Japan. First, a nationwide field survey measured the number of species or abundance of plants, invertebrates, amphibians, fish, and birds in a total of more than 1000 rice fields. The results showed that the number of species or abundance of many taxonomic groups was generally higher in organic fields compared to conventional fields. Next, a systematic review was conducted to collect national literature on the relationship between organic rice farming and biodiversity. The results identified 48 cases, which reported positive effects of organic rice farming on species richness and abundance of plants, invertebrates, and birds. These results indicate that organic farming is one of the most promising ways to enhance biodiversity in rice fields. Further research is needed to balance agricultural productivity and biodiversity conservation.

In order to gain insights into the effects of an organic vegetable gardening program for families (OVGP-F), we conducted a quantitative text analysis of parents’ speeches at a social gathering in OVGP-F held in Nayoro City, Hokkaido, from 2009 to 2016. Speeches on motivation for participation were made 64 times by 58 parents (for multi-year participants, only the speeches in the first year of participation were targeted). The analysis found that: advertising literature distributed in preschool and school influenced participation; parents expected their children to consume vegetables after participating in the program; and expected the OVGP-F experience to lead to positive emotions. Speeches on impressions of participation were made 172 times by 79 parents. The results of the analysis are as follows: children began to consume vegetables that they earlier disliked after observing the cultivation of vegetables in the garden and participating in gardening; the parents were happy to harvest delicious vegetables; gave OVGP-F a good rating; experienced positive emotions; and were delighted to interact with the farmers who provided guidance. However, the speeches with codes such as “pesticide-free,” “chemical fertilizer-free,” and “natural farming,” peculiar to organic vegetable gardens, were presented only once as a motivating factor for participation.