Farming Systems and Operations Contributing to a Sustainable Society and Their Multi-Dimensionality：An Essay at Planning Scenarios for Japan in 2040

Abstract

What types of farming systems and operations and their multi-dimensionality would contribute to construct a sustainable society in Japan by 2040? What policies would enable this transformation of the society? New agri-food policies promoted by the United Nations and European Union, and the rationality steering these policies, enrich the discussion and provide some spectra. This paper examines four scenarios of farm development and concludes that agroecological farming systems operated by small-scale family farms, a decentralized and localized agri-food system, and policies supporting this transformation would be the key to meet the new societal desires and construct a sustainable society.