Human Resources Development for Agriculture in Japan from the Perspective of European Experience

Abstract

We studied some cases of HRD programs related to fostering entrepreneurs for the rural innovation in Japan with the consideration of lessons from the experience of LEADER in the EU. Compared to the case of the EU, the role of local governments is rather substantial in Japan. Therefore, the endogenous development model of LEADER cannot directly apply, and the targeted human resources to foster may be different. However, the fiscal situation of local public entities has been becoming tighter than before in Japan, and the shrinkage of their roles may not be avoidable. Therefore, the organizational innovation of the whole region has become more desired. Savor Japan is a new project introduced in 2017. It certifies the areas trying to attract foreign tourists by utilizing the value of local foods and local primary industry. The destination management/marketing organization (DMO) is established in the certified area as the core organization of the project implementation, and it is organized by various area-oriented businesses. This execution style is partly similar to LEADER, in which a LAG is the center of project activities. Several vocational training courses related to agriculture have been offering capacity-building curriculums for regional leaders because the participants of those courses grow and come to need more advanced information. Consecutive vocational education for farm business executives and the local public entity staff responsible for the planning and management of a rural development project is considered useful because they may form the core human resources for the regional development.