Producers’ guidance for participants in hands-on experiences of farming, fishing and picking-up foods from the forest is most effective for them to deepen their understandings and interests in food and agriculture, a survey conducted by the Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) has learned
“A survey on diet and hands-on experience farming and fishing” was implemented by MAFF during a period of October and November 2016 by polling 4000 consumers aged from 20 to 60 years who have took part in those hands-on experiences.
Among the polled consumers experiencing the hands-on farming with farmer’s guidance, 28.8 percent responded to a question regarding their shopping, saying “I am now more interested in selecting food ingredients produced in local and domestic areas,” while only 12.5 percent of the polled consumers participating in the hands-on experience farming without farmer’s guidance responded in the same way.
30.6 percent of the polled persons said they or their family members have joined hands-on experience farming, fishing and the like, and 83 percent of them were provided with producer’s guidance.
Most of the polled consumers responded to a question regarding changes of their interests after enjoying the hands-on experiences, saying “I can now feel thankful for the blessings of nature and efforts of producers.”
65.4 percent of the polled people who have an experience of being guided by producers responded in this way, while 40.2 percent of them without such experiences made the same response.
Producer’s guidance for the participants in hands-on experience farming and others has a great influence on change of consumer’s interests, MAFF’s survey revealed.