Research on the Logic of Regional Developments of Organic Agriculture: Analysis by the Function and Value Change Framework

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K05871
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 41020:Rural sociology and agricultural structure-related
• Research Institution: Akita Prefectural University
• Principal Investigator: Taniguchi Yoshimitsu 秋田県立大学, 生物資源科学部, 教授 (60222121)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 西川 芳昭 龍谷大学, 経済学部, 教授 (80290641)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 有機農業 / 有機農業の社会化 / 機能の系 / 価値転換の系 / 地方自治体 / 有機給食

Outline of Final Research Achievements

How does organic agriculture spread throughout society? To answer this question, I constructed the hypothesis that "organic agriculture spreads through function and value change," which I named "socialization of organic agriculture. Next, to test this hypothesis, I surveyed Isumi City, Chiba Prefecture; Shirakawa Town, Gifu Prefecture; Takahata Town, Yamagata Prefecture; and Usuki City, Oita Prefecture, which are known as advanced municipalities of organic agriculture. Results showed that organic agriculture in all of these areas contributes in unique ways to solving social problems faced by local communities, and that it has also caused many value changes among the people involved in the process.

Free Research Field

食と農の社会学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で提示した「有機農業の社会化」という仮説は「有機農業は技術と経済で広がる」という「有機農業の産業化」という通説に対抗する強力な対抗論理となっている。実際、この仮説を有機農業の先進地4箇所で検証した結果、有機農業は技術や経済的価値とはほぼ無関係に広がったことを明らかにできた。有機農業を実施面積と農家戸数で評価して「日本には有機農業が広がっていない」という通説を覆すことができた。また政策的には、農林水産省が現在推進している「みどりの食料システム戦略」の推進方針に対して大きな示唆を与えている。