Risk communication among stakeholders is the essential element behind decisions about risk management measures in the food safety field. However, risk communication has not always been favorably done. Slovic (1999) pointed out that unsuccessful risk management can be traced, in part, to a...

Risk communication among stakeholders is the essential element behind decisions about risk management measures in the food safety field. However, risk communication has not always been favorably done. Slovic (1999) pointed out that unsuccessful risk management can be traced, in part, to a...

In order to conserve the coral reefs, seagrass beds and other marine habitats, neighboring countries along the Kuroshio Current are now carrying out community-based marine resource management, including fishery regulations, illegal fishing bans, and establishment of marine protected areas...

Rice farmers in Japan are becoming increasingly interested in direct seeding technology as a way to save labor spent on seed raising and transplanting. This article explores the technology adoption mechanisms of direct seeding, as well as the effects of technology adoption on mixed farming, and...

When it comes to farmland liquidity, instead of farmland dealing, leasing has been increasing rapidly in the Hokkaido paddy field zone since the second half of the 1980s. The leased land development is especially remarkable because of the formation of a large number of lenders of farmland,...

This paper discusses why progress in farmland liquidation through leasing has been very slow in the agricultural sector in Japan, focusing on the transaction costs related to farmland leasing. First, this paper points out that transaction costs are an important constraint for farmland leasing,...

In order to comments about the controversy over rice policy, we analyzed the present situation of structural change on paddy farming, profitability and cost level of rice production, and strategies on paddy field farms. The main conclusions of this survey are summarized as follows. (1) According...

This paper reviews theories, current conditions, and barriers to liquidization and concentration of farmland in Japan and discusses perspectives on further research. We make special effort in introducing theoretical approach to understand institutional barriers to farmland liquidization, such as...

This study shows a basic proposal of an alternative scheme of rice production control as an ‘environment-conscious' set-aside program. The scheme is designed to consist of a regular set-aside program to produce crops other than rice as well as an environmental program of extensive rice farming...

I was initially requested by symposium organizers to elaborate on how rural society will react to the new, alternative rice policies described by other discussants. I discuss in this paper, however, not only the social reaction to the policies, but also an introduction to rural social...