A study on problems and possibilities for propagating the farm volunteer system: A questionnaire investigation on the farm volunteer system in all cities, towns and villages within Japan
2006
Watanabe, H.(National Inst. for Rural Engineering, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan)) | ; Yagi, H.
Based on the analysis of 'A questionnaire investigation on the farm volunteer system in all cities, towns and villages within Japan,' conducted by the National Institute for Rural Engineering, we decided to focus our examination on the Kanto area, as it showed a high rate of practical use and positive effects from the farm volunteer system. Consequently, it became clear that it is becoming ever more difficult to secure 'a stable supply of farm volunteers,' although vegetable farmers had obtained results such as a reduction in working hours by regularly using farm volunteers. We concluded that, in order to bring about an increase in the number of farmhouses that use this system and to stabilize the supply of farm volunteers, involvement by the local government was required in the following ways. Local government needs to provide citizens with the opportunity to experience agriculture, such as by offering courses for training citizens in agriculture and community farms, and by raising and securing farm volunteers in cooperation with farmers. In addition, an informative environment needs to be provided that is easy to use for both farmers and farm volunteers.
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