The purpose of this paper is to analyze the characteristics of labor supply behavior of farm family members, and to provide some perspectives on the structure of the Japanese agricultural labor supply.
　First, farm family members are classified by generation with special reference to their working experience. Secondly, the labor supply functions of farm are estimated using the data of "Survey Report of Farmhousehold Economy." These results lead to the following conclusions:
　1) The labor supply behavior of farm family members is closely related: the labor supply of young and middle-aged men is the substitute for aged men. On the other hand, the relation between husband and wife is complementary.
　2) Because of these flexible agricultural labor supply systems, some portion of the decrease of agricultural labor force in post-war period was substituted by women or aged farmers.
　3) However, the agriculture labor force will show a rapid decrease in 10 or 15 years. The reduction will not result from social mobility but from a natural decrease in the farm population caused by the retirement of the "showa-hitoketa" generation born in 1925-35. The substitution function of aged persons against a scarcity of the core labor force cannot be expected.

抄録全体を表示

　In recent years, agricultural environmental problems have begun to be highlighted as a new social issue. In this paper, the development direction of farms in rice-crop agriculture are examined in relation to such a social issue. Outlines of the examination are as follows.
　1) Agricultural problems in Japan have shifted to environmental issues from the past problems of poverty. Accordingly, it seems necessary in the future to build up such farming enterprises that may contribute to the solution of agricultural environmental problems.
　2) By classifying existing farms into 4 types, I have examined the conditions in which they can develop by receiving a variety of social support. As a result, I consider it necessary that every farm has a system to realize businesslike rationality in working processes and financial control, while being based on a principle of behavior which can win the confidence of people of the "mura" community.
　3) Finally, I have examined the farmland systems and the level of rice prices necessary for the development of farm enterprises.

抄録全体を表示

　The Uruguay Round of the GATT negotiations came to a close in December 1993. Japan agreed to convert all the non-tariff border measures to tariffs except for rice which is exempted from tariffication for a 6-year grace period. This agreement requires Japanese agricultural policy to shift to a more market-oriented policy in an open trade system.
　Japanese agricultural policy has long relied on the price policy to support producers since the Agricultural Basic Law was enacted in 1961. However, the price policy will no longer be used effectively when the border measures are tarifficated because the domestic prices cannot be independent of the world market. This means that Japanese agricultural policy has to change its direction to be more harmonizing internationally.
　In this regard, Japanese agricultural policy is required to "decouple" the functions for other objectives from the price policy and to let the prices be determined in the market. Examples are: (ⅰ) Decoupling the income policy from the price policy; if farmers need support due to price declines and lack of mobility of their resources to other uses, they should be assisted by direct payments and the programs to increase the mobility of the resources. (ⅱ) Decoupling the environmental policy from the price policy; it is important to internalize the externalities that agricultural production causes in the natural environment but the policy should apply "the Polluter Pays Principle" also to the case of subsidizing for the positive externalities to avoid market intervention.
　Additionally, two more examples of decoupling policy are suggested: (ⅲ) Decoupling farmers from farm households as the target of agricultural production policy; the policy should focus on only those whose earnings mainly depend on agricultural production. (ⅳ) Decoupling the food security policy from the food self-sufficiency policy; the peacetime self-sufficiency does not mean the food security in a war-induced crisis and necessary is to maintain the food production potential rather than the self-sufficiency level itself.

抄録全体を表示