| Project/Area Number |
22K14955
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 41010:Agricultural and food economics-related
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| Research Institution | Utsunomiya University |
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Principal Investigator |
シュレーガ ベンジャミン 宇都宮大学, 農学部, 助教 (90943605)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2022-04-01 – 2025-03-31
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| Project Status |
Granted (Fiscal Year 2023)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥4,420,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,020,000)
Fiscal Year 2024: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
Fiscal Year 2023: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
Fiscal Year 2022: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
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| Keywords | artisan food / Japan / Covid-19 / food crisis / food brands / covid-19 / Artisan food / Covid / food system / sustainability |
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| Outline of Research at the Start |
The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted food systems across the world, but the pandemic’s impacts have varied greatly. This project will evaluate how the pandemic impacted artisan food producers to better understand how the pandemic is reshaping Japan’s food economies.
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
I completed numerous publications over the previous academic year thanks to the support of this funding. In particular, I would like to emphasize “A critical agrarian approach to food crises: Social distance as a specific food crisis arising from the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan” which I co-authored with Chika Kondo and published in Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space. This paper delves how the food crisis of Covid-19 reshaped Japanese food systems. In Figure 2, we explain that while industrial and local producers were largely able to shift sales to other venues, artisan producers had less flexibility to transition sales away from in-person dining. This explains why some artisan producers were especially hard hit. In October 2023, I conducted field research in Miyazaki Prefecture on jidori farmers to continue my research on Covid-19’s impact on artisan producers in Japan. I spoke with farmers regarding the challenges that they faced with a sharp decline in demand. This proved very difficult as they must anticipate how much meat they wish to sell three to five months prior to sale, at the time when they purchase chickens. I also continued my research on heirloom pigs in Okinawa, conducting archival research with the help of a research assistant.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.
Reason
I have made good progress with publications. However, my research is delayed due to the birth of a son in February 2022. Child care needs make it so I must revise the initial plan.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
I will continue to conduct research on artisan producers in Japan. In particular, the role of rural revitalization (machi-okoshi) and regional branding (chi-iki burando) have emerged as key ideas that shape the expression of artisan food in the context of post-Covid-19 food systems in Japan. Miyazaki jidori and Okinawan heirloom pigs are also areas that are providing especially useful insights into my research topic.
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