Evaluation and expectations in disaster-affected areas for corporate support initiatives in the reconstruction of agriculture following the Great East Japan Earthquake: Based on a survey of municipal authorities in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures

This study has been conducted in order to clarify evaluation by disaster-affetcted municipalities of corporate initiatives to support agricultural reconstruction following the Great East Japan Earthquake, in terms of expectations for, concerns about, and effects of support initiatives, as well as how corporate support is defined by recipients and how attitudes of corporations in providing support is perceived. At the same time, this study has also been aimed at identifying desirable forms of corporate support for post-earthquake agricultural reconstruction. In order to achieve the above study objectives, we carried out a survey of agriculture-related departments of 127 municipalities that received special designation for post-disaster government assistance. The municipalities covered are all in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima Prefectures, which were severely affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. The main findings of this study are as follows. 1) Affected municipalities' expectations for corporate support for agricultural reconstruction are higher today than immediately after the disaster. 2) Many affected municipalities in general have recognized the effects of corporate support for agricultural reconstruction. Especially, municipalities that have received corporate support have rated the support highly. With regard to concerns associated with corporate support for agricultural reconstruction, the frequently cited responses include withdrawal by corporations without fully implementing support initiatives, provision of support that does not match the needs or that is unfair. 3) As to how corporate support for agricultural reconstruction is defined in the overall picture and the kind of corporate attitudes expected of corporations that provide support, municipalities-especially those that have received corporate support-recognize that corporate support is indispensable for agricultural reconstruction; consider that it will be effective to build a complementary relationship between corporate support and state and prefectural support; and hope that corporations provide support that is integrated with their core business and suits the recipients' post-disaster circumstances and needs. 4) With regard to measures that corporations should take in order to implement support smoothly and effectively, particularly municipalities that have received corporate support mentioned collaboration among corporations, local communities, and agricultural organizations, instead of provision of support on a stand-alone basis. As measures that municipalities should take for smoother and more effective corporate support, municipalities that have received corporate support mentioned matching of corporations that want to provide support and farmers or areas that seek support; promotion of collaboration among corporations, local communities, and agricultural organizations; securing of subsidies to help attract corporate support or equivalent financial assistance; understanding of needs for support in disaster sites; and consolidation, sharing, and provision of information on support.