I do agriculture as a business.

I often hear from acquaintances that “I am also a farmer,” but it is usually about their vegetable garden as a hobby. That’s great know-how, and it is helpful…. But farming as a business is different. There is shipping, delivery, marketing, and sales. Of course, we are not just a farmer, but we are also involved in sales, so we cannot open the door to sales unless we have a sanitation manager and related certifications. You don’t have to perform these business functions in a home garden. Business farming is a series of tough things.

When I said I was starting a BAR, the response was, “I have my own bar too. But that is simply a private bar to enjoy with good friends, which is completely different from the business BAR I do. Do you serve draft beer? How much is a glass of wine, how much water do you prepare in a night with about 10 seats, and what is the level of that water? And what will the level of that water be? What kind of infographic will be used, even a map to tell people where to go? We also need to decide on branding.

Back to the story.

To begin with, Japan has a system that does not allow companies to engage in agriculture as a business.

First, one must rent farmland to start farming in Okinawa (or anywhere in Japan). Apply and register with the city’s Board of Agriculture. At that stage, you are asked, “Do you have farming experience?” and if you don’t have experience, you are not allowed to apply. Even if you have experience, you cannot apply as a company. Japan has been protecting farmers for many years. That is why there is a group of farmers and companies are not allowed to enter the market. The reason why there is no large-scale agriculture in Japan compared to other countries is because of the protective policies of MAFF.

In terms of cropland per farmer, Japan is about 3 hectares. Even in a small, drought-stricken land like Israel, the average is over 100 hectares. Also, the number of farmers per hectare is less than 1.0 farmer per hectare in China, the U.S., and the Netherlands, compared to 2.5 farmers per hectare in Japan, except Japan. In other words, agriculture in Japan is carried out by individuals on a small scale. Therefore, the price difference between domestic and foreign prices of crops is 7 times higher than in Japan because of the inability to scale up and save labor. In the end, the bill comes to the people.

To escape this ridiculous structure, the bananas, mangoes, kiwis, olives, and baobab tea produced at Speedy Farm are mainly sold online to customers such as “Eat Choku” to maintain freshness and provenance. The natural size of the food, unrelated to pesticide-free and distribution standards, is what creates the maximum value of the food. I would like to try something like “marche” as the next step.