The purpose of this study is to identify problem in procuring local and prefectural ingredients for school lunch from the perspective of school nutritionists. The study area is Okinawa Prefecture, which has a unique food culture. AHP analysis was conducted in this study to identify the degree of importance of the introduction of local and prefectural ingredients. The results suggest that systematic production is important to ensure sufficient quantity and variety of ingredients is available for school lunches.

Rural communities with progressive aging and depopulation speak to the current difficulties of maintaining traditional rural settlement functions, often due to insufficient workers. Therefore, the present study examines the current status and issues regarding the required awareness among residents, for maintaining the basic functions of rural settlements. This is done by interviewing the residents based on existing research that organizes the six social functions of many rural villages. Furthermore, this case study of a depopulating rural village, examined the measures required to maintain the basic functions of settlements in future depopulated areas. Specifically, we targeted cases obtained through interdisciplinary collaboration programs. Examining the qualitative differences in the related populations attracting attention in recent years helped determine the necessity of considering the relationship with the region for each category.

Women farmers have traditionally played an important role in agriculture, but in rural areas where aging and population decline is progressing faster than cities, it is important to promote agricultural development and revitalize the local economy. In order to achieve this goal, it is important to enable women farmers to fully demonstrate their abilities and play an active role. This paper reports on the situation of women farmers, the positioning of measures to promote the active participation of women farmers, and the future development of such measures.

This study analyzes the social participation of women farmers in urban agriculture. Interviews were conducted with women farmers in Tokyo. The findings are as follows. There are few women farmers in the agricultural committees of the municipalities in Tokyo. The challenges of activities as agricultural committee members, such as providing guidance to owners of productive green lands, hinder their participation. On the other hand, non-farming women are actively participating. Women farmers who engage in policy decisions related to local agriculture are also proactive in their own agricultural management. Furthermore, group activities for networking and learning are crucial for the involvement of women. One common issue in both urban and rural areas is the presence of unconscious biases regarding gender within the farming community.

This paper explores the evolution and future of policies on rural women’s entrepreneurship over 30 years. While initiatives have bolstered economic and social independence, a decline is observed due to factors like aging management. Despite this, rural women continue to shape their communities through entrepreneurship, albeit with evolving motives and environments. Thus, there’s a need to reposition and support rural women’s entrepreneurship, particularly for regional development. Initiatives in food processing hold promise as local intellectual property deserving strategic placement and utilization.

This report aims to identify changes and challenges in the networking of women engaged in agriculture in rural areas and find future directions for their networking. To this end, we have reviewed literatures published in “Rural Life Studies” from 1992 to 2022 and conducted interviews with six women in the field. Our literature review reveals various changes in their networking; for example, their supporters, activities, geographical extent, and interaction methods. Our interview discovers that women often empower themselves in their area by obtaining knowledge via social networking services. However, our interview also reveals the difficulty of finding mentors only through online communication.