Farm-welfare links for disabled employment expand in Japan

From Jiji via The Japan Times

January 22 2025

CHIBA – Agriculture-welfare partnerships, in which individuals with disabilities actively participate in farming activities, have been steadily gaining momentum in Japan following a government 2019 policy vision aimed at promoting such collaborations.

The number of such partnership initiatives launched by agricultural corporations and employment facilities has significantly grown, reaching about 7,100 by fiscal 2023, which ended in March last year. Such initiatives have not only welcomed disabled individuals, but also extended opportunities to former prison inmates and others in need of support.

Occasionally, however, mismatches between job demand and workers’ needs have arisen due to the seasonal and location-specific nature of farm work. To address the issue, collaboration with municipalities is key to ensuring stable employment opportunities year-round.

“They work silently and with great focus. It’s a great help,” said Takashi Ito, the 51-year-old leader of Sky Earth Farm in Narita, Chiba Prefecture. The company, which produces sweet potatoes, employs individuals with disabilities from a nearby social welfare organization to cut sweet potato roots.

“When I hear stories about how they seemed eager to come to work, it warms my heart,” Ito said. In October last year, the company earned Nofuku (agriculture and welfare) JAS certification, a category under the Japanese Agricultural Standards, for its products.

The number of agricultural corporations and employment facilities engaged in agriculture-welfare partnerships grew from about 4,100 in fiscal 2019 to around 7,100 in fiscal 2023. The growth exceeded the government’s target, outlined in its promotion policy vision, to add 3,000 such organizations by fiscal 2024, achieving the goal a year ahead of schedule. In June last year, the government updated its policy vision, setting a new goal of expanding the number to over 12,000 corporations and facilities by fiscal 2030.

General incorporated association Step Up, based in the city of Miyazaki, received the grand prix at the Nofuku Awards 2024, which recognize outstanding agriculture-welfare partnership initiatives. The organization was honored for its contributions to local agriculture through its support for the employment of individuals released from prison, alongside disabled people.

Meanwhile, agriculture-welfare partnerships have also facilitated employment opportunities for elderly individuals and those in need.

According to survey results released by the agriculture ministry in March 2022, only 5.3% of municipalities in Japan expressed a willingness to actively promote agriculture-welfare partnerships.

For certain crops, maintaining year-round work is challenging, as tasks are concentrated during the peak farming season and fields are often located far from employers’ facilities.

To address these challenges, the government plans to support the establishment of regional councils comprising officials related to agriculture and welfare, primarily from municipalities. The councils aim to boost the number of partnerships by allocating agricultural tasks, coordinating schedules and matching labor supply and demand at the regional level.

Starting next fiscal year, the agriculture ministry intends to fund initiatives such as visits to areas with advanced regional council models and meetings to facilitate exchanges of opinion for establishing new councils. The government’s revised promotion policy vision sets a goal of increasing the number of municipalities participating in such councils to 200 or more.

The government has designated Nov. 29 as Nofuku Day, a name combining elements from the English word “November” and Japanese readings for the numbers “two” and “nine.” Alternatively, “no” can be taken to represent nо̄gyо̄, or agriculture, while “fuku” refers to fukushi, or welfare.

On Nov. 29 last year, the first Nofuku Day following its designation, the government hosted an event at the Prime Minister’s Office to promote interaction among organizations involved in agriculture-welfare partnerships. Agricultural products and processed goods were served to Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi and agriculture minister Taku Eto.

A middle-ranking official of the agriculture ministry expressed enthusiasm about the initiative, saying, “We want to raise the profile (of agriculture-welfare partnerships) through intensive publicity campaigns.”