The common concept of uncertainty and risk, the definition of risk and the reason why the concept of risk is needed in the field of food safety are explained. Furthermore the explanation is given within the international framework for food safety based on the SPS agreement. Risk analysis, which is the framework for decision-making for risk reduction based on the scientific data, risk assessment, risk management and risk communication, and the progress and challenge of regulatory science in each field are discussed.

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Two factors have historically influenced the measures for food risks in terms of sufficiency: economic factors such as developments in commodity economy and distribution systems, and political factors such as effective governance systems. Japan has formulated a unique concept of food security emphasizing the food self-sufficiency ratio against the background of its rapid economic growth and increasing dependence on imported food. However, this paper shows that there exist various possible hazards to food security in terms of sufficiency, which would include household affordability and access, food chain resilience, and availability and access to food import in addition to total food supply. The Great East Japan Earthquake triggered lively risk research in various science areas. Empirical studies based on a risk analysis framework shall be necessary also for this research area.

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The objective of this paper is to consider the issues which farms should solve in order to reduce food risk, and to give a perspective of the farm of the next generation from a mid/long-term aspect. The food risk can be classified into the food pollution risk and the food shortage risk, and the integrated analysis and consideration are given. The result shows that the international GAP is required to manage food pollution risk, and the information management as a new farming operation is needed to achieve it. From this aspect, characteristics of both family farms and agricultural enterprises are clarified. The latter have advantages in the field. On the other hand, to discuss food shortage risk, the long term aspect of both demand and supply of energy and nutrients for the entire country is essential. The fundamental concept needed for this is proposed. Furthermore, it is statistically clarified that an agricultural enterprise increases the role of the major supplier. It is also clarified that the ordinary profit rate of agricultural enterprises in rice farming is higher than that of small and medium-sized enterprises in non-agricultural industries on average. A portion of the profit comes from agricultural policy, however.

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This paper elucidates various kinds of risk for livestock farms. In particular, this paper elucidates various kinds of risk at the heart of pig farms from the point of view of case studies in Gunma Prefecture and Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. Some concrete examples include the outbreak of livestock infectivity risk, risk of rising formula feed prices and risk of price drop of livestock products. Secondly, this paper analyzes the risk disposal plane and behavior when pig farms choose among systems, funds and mutual aid projects. When the livestock infectivity risk rose in a large-scale pig corporation, the amount of damage exceeded the standard scale of family pig farms. When formula feed prices rose from 2006 to 2008, a large-scale pig corporation suffered financial loss. After foot-and-mouth disease occurred in Miyazaki Prefecture in 2010, the restart of pig farms suffered instability because of their technical level and various factors.

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