Farm Diversification and Sustainability of Multifunctional Peri-Urban Agriculture: Entrepreneurial Attributes of Advanced Diversification in Japan
Yoshida S., Yagi H., Kiminami A., Garrod G.
Sustainability 11(10):2887
Urban Farm DB summary
The study analyzes the sustainability of multifunctional peri-urban agriculture through the lens of farm diversification and farmers' entrepreneurial attributes. It identifies the characteristics of advanced, highly diversified farm businesses and discusses factors supporting the persistence of peri-urban agriculture in Japan.
Key points
- 1Only about 10% of peri-urban farms in Japan are classified as advanced diversified farms exhibiting entrepreneurial attributes.
- 2Most other diversified farms do not exhibit entrepreneurial attributes.
- 3Advanced diversification positively impacts both the economic viability and social performance of farms.
- 4Policies promoting urban agriculture sustainability should balance the promotion of farm diversification and entrepreneurial attributes.
Extracted facts
4 factsOnly numbers and their conditions are stored, as structured data — never the source's own sentences. Metric and condition names stay in English, as coded.
- 386
survey sample size(peri urban farm)
Economicsn = 386- region
- JP
- setting
- close-to-urban-areas
- study design
- farm-survey
- 10 %
share of sample(advanced diversified farm)
Economicsn = 386- region
- JP
- setting
- peri-urban
- study design
- gaussian-mixture-clustering
- note
- reported as about 10%
- positive impact↑ Increase
economic viability effect(advanced diversified farm)
Economicsn = 386Control: other diversified farms- region
- JP
- setting
- peri-urban
- study design
- regression
- positive impact↑ Increase
social performance effect(advanced diversified farm)
Socialn = 386Control: other diversified farms- region
- JP
- setting
- peri-urban
- study design
- regression
Direction of conclusions
Each author conclusion is recorded only as a coded direction per topic. Read the original for the conclusion itself.
- Economic viabilitySupportsWith caveats
- Policy and governanceSupports
Abstract and stored text
OpenAlexMultifunctionality of urban agriculture is essential for the sustainability of both cities and urban farms, especially in Asian mega-cities exhibiting extensive urban sprawl. To maximise the multifunctionality of these farms, entrepreneurial or innovative farm diversification is important. However, there is insufficient research on this issue in developed countries. This study aims to demonstrate the existence of advanced diversified farms characterised by entrepreneurship, skilled farm management and social networks and explore their economic and social sustainability by using data from a survey of 386 farms located close to urban areas in Japan. Gaussian mixture clustering analysis revealed that only about 10% of the sample can be classified as advanced diversified farms and most of the other diversified farms do not exhibit entrepreneurial attributes. Furthermore, regression analysis revealed that advanced diversification has a positive impact not only on the economic viability of farms, but also on their social performance. These findings have significant implications for policies promoting the sustainability of urban agriculture, suggesting that a more balanced promotion of the diversification and entrepreneurial attributes of farms is crucial to building a sustainable relationship between cities and urban agriculture.
Why it matters for urban farming
This study highlights that simply diversifying isn't enough; an entrepreneurial mindset and skilled management are crucial for urban farms to be truly sustainable, both economically and socially. For citizen-driven urban farms, this means thinking beyond just growing food. It encourages them to consider innovative ways to engage the community, manage resources efficiently, and develop unique offerings (like workshops, direct sales, or community events) to ensure their long-term viability and maximize their positive impact on the city. Urban farmers should cultivate not just crops, but also business acumen and community connections.