Agricultural Structure Improvement Project - nougyoukozoukaizenjigyo

Based on Article 21 of the Basic Agricultural Law, this project was implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as a central and pioneering role in realizing agricultural structural policy (a policy that aims to transform agriculture, which has been carried out by small-scale farms with low productivity, into agriculture carried out by highly productive large-scale management, and to create an agricultural structure that can respond to high capital accumulation and an open economic system). Municipalities designated for this project receive subsidies and low-interest loans from the national government to carry out land infrastructure development, the introduction of modern facilities such as large machinery, and selective expansion of production, and was launched in 1962 (Showa 37).

In 1969, in response to the start of the comprehensive agricultural policy, the second structural improvement project was launched (the previous project is called the first structural improvement project in response to this). The content was basically the same as the first, but the main focus was on developing large, self-sufficient farms, and the budget size per district was increased, and rice-related projects were prevented from leading to increased production due to the rice surplus problem.

The implementation of structural policies centered on these two-stage structural improvement projects greatly promoted agricultural mechanization and labor-saving, leading to the outflow of large amounts of labor, which was necessary for rapid economic growth, from rural areas. As a result, the number of people involved in agriculture decreased, the development of independent management did not progress well, and even local agriculture began to decline. Furthermore, while production of growing agricultural products such as livestock, fruit trees, and greenhouse horticulture expanded, production of wheat, soybeans, etc. declined, and problems such as the abnormal specialization and standardization of management occurred. What exacerbated this were the formal, uniform implementation methods of projects that ignored regional characteristics.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries then reviewed its previous methods, and in 1978 launched the New Agricultural Structure Improvement Project, adopting a method of proceeding with projects suited to the characteristics of the region while making use of the creativity of local farmers. However, while the basic policy of establishing highly productive agriculture remained the same, particular emphasis was placed on promoting the liquidity of farmland through leasing and other methods, concentrating land in the hands of core farms, and increasing the productivity of land-use agriculture (rice, wheat, feed, etc.). In response to the adjustment of rice production, efforts were also made to collectivize and establish paddy field conversion. Furthermore, improvements were made to the living environment.

However, the decline of agriculture and rural areas continued, and in response to this, the name of the project was changed to the Agriculture and Rural Revitalization Structural Improvement Project in 1990 (Heisei 2), and efforts were made to create new demand for agricultural products and develop facilities to encourage exchanges between urban and rural areas.

Furthermore, from 1994, in order to respond to the blow to Japan's agriculture caused by the Uruguay Round Agricultural Agreement, the government launched the Regional Agricultural Infrastructure Establishment Structural Improvement Project, which focused on establishing the management base of efficient and stable management entities, developing land bases with the aim of utilizing diverse regional resources and rural space, production, distribution and processing facilities, information-related facilities, and exchange facilities.

Thus, the Agricultural Structural Improvement Project, which was positioned to promote structural policies, has been implemented for about 40 years, changing its name, content, methods, and budget size in response to the political, economic, and social demands of the time, the requests of agricultural producers, and changes in local agriculture. Almost all municipalities across the country have introduced this project, and some have introduced it repeatedly. As a result, the productivity and living infrastructure of agriculture and rural areas have improved considerably. Despite this, Japan's food self-sufficiency rate has dropped significantly. Furthermore, the excessive mobility of labor from rural areas, which was one of the major aims of structural policies, has led to a serious shortage of agricultural workers, escalating depopulation, and even the appearance of abandoned farmland, leading to a steady decline of rural areas.

In response to this situation, the Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas Basic Law (New Agricultural Basic Law) was enacted in 1999 (Heisei 11) to replace the previous Agricultural Basic Law. As a result, the Agricultural Structure Improvement Project was abolished, and instead, management structure measures were implemented from 2000.

[Junichi Sakai]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

農業基本法第21条に基づき、農業構造政策（低位生産力のもとで零細な農家が担ってきた農業を、生産性の高い大規模経営が担う農業に変え、資本の高蓄積と開放経済体制に対応しうる農業構造にしようとする政策）を実現するための中心的・先駆的役割を果たすものとして農林水産省が実施してきた事業。この事業の指定を受けた市町村が、国からの補助や低利融資を受け、土地基盤整備、大型機械等の近代化施設の導入、生産の選択的拡大などを行うというもので、1962年（昭和37）に開始された。

　1969年からは、総合農政の開始に対応して、第二次構造改善事業を発足させた（これに対応してそれ以前の事業を第一次構造改善事業という）。その内容は、第一次と基本的に変わりないが、大型自立経営農家の育成を中心課題として一地区当りの予算規模を増額し、稲作関連の事業については米の過剰問題と絡んで増産につながらないようにした。

　こうした二次にわたる構造改善事業を中心とする構造政策の展開は、農業の機械化・省力化を大きく進め、高度経済成長の必要とする大量の労働力を農村から流出させた。その結果、農業の担い手は減少し、自立経営の育成もなかなか進まず、地域農業の衰退すらみられるようになってきた。また畜産や果樹、施設園芸などの成長農産物の生産は拡大したが、麦、大豆などの生産は衰退し、経営の専門化・単一化が異常に進展するなどの問題を引き起こした。これに拍車をかけたのが、地域性を無視した形式的・画一的な事業の実施方式であった。

　そこで農林水産省は、これまでのやり方を見直し、1978年に新農業構造改善事業を発足させ、地域の農業者の創意を生かしつつ、地域の特性に即して事業を進めるという手法をとることとした。ただし、高生産性農業の確立という基本路線はそのままで、とくに重点を置いたのは、賃貸借などを通じて農地流動化を進め、中核農家に土地を集積し、土地利用型農業（稲作、麦作、飼料作など）の生産性を高めていくことであった。また米の生産調整に対応して水田転作の集団化、定着化を図ることにも力を入れた。さらに、生活環境の整備も行えるようにした。

　しかし、農業・農村の衰退はとどまらず、これに対応すべく1990年（平成2）から農業農村活性化構造改善事業と名称を変え、農産物の新たな需要の創出、都市と農村の交流のための施設整備なども進めることにした。

　さらに1994年からは、ウルグアイ・ラウンド農業合意によるわが国農業への打撃に対処するため、効率的・安定的な経営体の経営基盤の確立、多様な地域資源と農村空間の活用等を目ざす土地基盤、生産・流通・加工施設、情報関連施設、交流施設等の整備を中心とする地域農業基盤確立構造改善事業を展開した。

　このように、構造政策を推進すべく位置づけられた農業構造改善事業は、時の政治経済や社会の要求、農業生産者の要望、地域農業の変化等に対応してその名称や内容、手法、予算規模を変えながら約40年にわたって展開されてきた。そして全国のほとんどの市町村がこの事業を導入し、市町村によっては繰り返し導入してきた。その結果、農業・農村の生産力・生活基盤はかなり整備された。にもかかわらず、わが国の食糧自給率は大幅に低下した。さらに構造政策の一つの大きなねらいであった農村からの労働力流動化の進みすぎにより、農業の担い手不足が深刻化し、過疎化が進展し、耕作放棄地までみられるようになり、農村は衰退の一途をたどってきた。

　こうした事態に対応すべく、これまでの農業基本法にかわり、食料・農業・農村基本法（新農業基本法）が1999年（平成11）制定された。それに伴って農業構造改善事業もなくなり、それにかわって経営構造対策が2000年から展開されることになった。

［酒井惇一］

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