The 5th Conference of East Asia Research Association for Agricultural Heritage Systems (ERAHS) Symposium 2: GIAHS for Branding of Agricultural Products 27 Aug 2018, Minabe-Tanabe, Wakayama, Japan GIAHS for Branding of Agricultural Products in Japan Akira Nagata Visiting Senior Research Fellow United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS)
▷Dynamic Conservation and Active Utilization of GIAHS ▷Branding as Active Utilization of GIAHS in Japan ▷Case in Noto GIAHS: “Noto’s Satoyama & Satoumi" ▷Case in Shizuoka GIAHS: “Traditional tea-grass grass integrated system" ▷Challenges for “GIAHS for Branding” ▷Conclusion
▷Since GIAHS is so called “living heritages”, dynamic conservation is more appropriate to adapt to changes of circumstances  rather than statistic conservation like monuments or museum ➤ In developed countries like Japan, threats by depopulation, ageing, lack of successors, are more serious than urbanization, industrialization, modernization ▷Therefore, it is necessary to conserve GIAHS dynamically by utilizing GIAHS actively and revitalize rural areas
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Branding
→ Value-adding on agricultural products - Increasing recognition of GIAHS - Promoting public understanding of agriculture and rural areas
Tourism
→ Agro-tourism ▷ Farmer’s Inn and - Promoting tourism to rural areas from cities - Increasing interest in agriculture Pride and self-confident to the agriculture and community ▷ Awareness of local resources and values ➤ Pride to local community →  Local integrity and multi- stakeholder participation - Strengthening solidarity of the community - Increasing motivation on traditional farming and rural development     4
11GIAHS sites in total as at August 2018 Nishi-Awa Steep Slope Land Agriculture System
8 sites as at August 2018 Rice and Carp Cultivation System Utilizing Snow Women divers and Pearl Culture in Toba and Shima Nishi-Awa Steep Slope Land Agriculture System Traditional WASABI Cultivation in Shizuoka Osaki Kodo’s traditional water management system for sustainable paddy agriculture Fallen Leaf Compost Farming System in Musashino Integrated Fruit Tree System in Yamanashi Adapted to the Basin ♦ Designated as GIAHS
■  Creating attractive logo for each GIAHS site for publicity and marketing purposes ■  Can be used on banners, posters, flags, publications etc., and also as certification marks ■ Help image building and differentiation of various GIAHS ■  Logo created by designers or selected from public competitions ■  Now 9 out of 11 Japan GIAHS have their own logos SHIZUOKA
WAKAYAMA
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Sado Eco-friendly rice produced in coexistence with the Japanese Crested Ibis in Sado Shizuoka Tea produced from Chagusaba traditional tea method through 8 conserving semi-grasslands Kunisaki Shiitake mushroom Shichitoi grass Shitake mushrooms and shichitoi grass(for tatami- mats) produced through traditional methods in Kunisaki Noto With the increasing recognition and value of GIAHS, products which contribute to the conservation and succession of Noto’s Satoyama & Satoumi are certified as “Noto-no- Ippin ". As of April 2016, 32 items are Red Beans 【First Batch of Noto-no-Ippin Certified Product】 About 1.5 times the sales amount of the previous fiscal year (Average of 22 first certified products) ※ FY 2015 results
There are unique landscapes such as rice paddies spreading on steep slopes and fences for protecting houses from sea breeze, and Agehama salt making method and Ama woman divers fishing etc. have been inherited since Edo period (1603-1868) Shiroyone rice terrace Source: MAFF website Agehama salt making Aenokoto ritual
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Creating highly valuable, safe, reliable, and eco-friendly rice called “Noto Mai” across the entire Noto region Cutting down on pesticides and chemical fertilizers by 30% Source:  Ishikawa Prefecture by 7 Agricultural Corporative Associations in the Noto region 20
Unique local products in Noto Products with a rich history that have been passed down in Noto Suitable products advertising GIAHS “Noto’s Satoyama and Satoumi” Products that are produced in Noto and  distributed all over Japan Designation as “Noto-no-Ippin” Supporting expansion in the market and increasing the quality of the goods Print logo mark of “Noto’s Satoyama and Satoumi" on product packages Advertising “Noto’s Satoyama and Satoumi" through sales of the products at department stores in metropolitan or Kansai area Source: Ishikawa Prefecture
31 products are designated  as “Noto no Ippin" including rice, beans, vegetable, persimmon, mushroom, beef, milk, fish, shell, seaweeds, sea cucumber, cucumber, syrup, buckwheat, salt, cider, soy sauce, fish sauce
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“Tea-grass farming method” whereby grassland of silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis) etc., are maintained for use in tea production to increase tea quality while contributes to conservation of the biodiversity of the grasslands Cutting and drying of grass from Chagusaba Mulching of the soil beds of tea plants with 16 grass to improve tea quality
Designation Scheme for Farmers Who Practice Traditional Tea-grass Integrated System •  Display “Tea produced by GIAHS Traditional Tea-grass Integrated System practitioner” on material tea •  Index is effort and contribution on maintenance of tea-grassland which conserve biodiversity（Designate by 3 level) • 88 case, 493 farmers have been designated（August 2017）、2.9 million certification seals were attached to commodities  (May 2018)

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▷It takes rather long time to show results of branding ▷Products should be attractive for consumers as commodities to be sold ▷In designation/certification scheme, it is necessary to balance strict standards for consumers and acceptance of farmers ▷Appropriate labeling system is also important because GIAHS is system, not agricultural products
▷One of the utilization of GIAHS designation is branding of agricultural products. It is especially important to revitalize rural areas by branding of agricultural products for a country like Japan where depopulation or aging problem is more serious than pressure of urban development. ▷ Most of the GIAHS sites in Japan already introduced branding of agriculture products by such as logos and designation schemes. For example, Noto GIAHS introduced “Noto no Ippin” designation scheme, and Shizuoka GIAHS introduced designation scheme for farmers who practice traditional tea-grass integrated system. ▷Branding of agricultural products in GIAHS sites generally needs long time until it is recognized by consumers and distributers, but once recognized, it is very effective for dynamic conservation of GIAHS.
United Nations University (Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan)