Measures of support to promote a system for utilization of organic resources: A case of livestock manure utilization

Various participants are concerned with the regional utilization of livestock manure as compost. The purpose of this report is to determine the relationship between concerned participants and influential properties at 4 stages (manure production-transportation, composting, using compost on agricultural land and selling agricultural products), and to discuss effective measures of support for a utilization system. Based on the conceptual image of a utilization system, the properties of concerned participants and influences were detailed from surveys of 3 cases. Not only manure production-transportation and composting (number of livestock farmers, scale and type of management and transportation system, etc.), but also using compost on agricultural land (placement of composts and kinds of agricultural products) affected the scale of the utilization system. Similarly, the properties of the concerned participants such as livestock farmers, composting facilities, farmers, administrative sector and nonprofit organizations (NPO) were investigated in the case study of Ichijima-town in Hyogo prefecture. In particular the role of the administrative sector was important at the composting stage. Additionally, the certification of specially grown agricultural products and preparation of various channels for the sale of agricultural products promoted the use of compost on farms. In this stage, the NPO supported farmers with a guide of the certification system and provided a pickup point for agricultural products. In the case of manure composting at one facility, livestock farmer support with labor for manure transportation and disposal costs promoted the manure production-transportation stage. At the composting stage, quality and cargo style of composts required the support of compost users and public financial support was essential. At the stage of selling agricultural products, as with Ichijima-town, the NPO promoting mutual relations between composting facilities, farmers and consumers should be the target of support from concerned participants.