Effects of Nuclear Disaster on Farmers' Markets and Introduction of an Inspection System : A study based in northern Fukushima Prefecture

This study aimed to clarify the effects on farmers’ markets of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March 2011. One year after the nuclear disaster, a factual investigation into the situation of farmers’ markets was conducted in northern Fukushima Prefecture. The study investigated the changes in the total sales and the number of customers and analyzed the causes of these changes. The results show that the financial health of farmers’ markets indeed declined after the nuclear disaster. The report also discusses the reasons for the depression in total sales from the viewpoint of production and consumption to characterize the impact on farmers’ markets. In areas affected by radiation, an inspection system needs to be established in order to revive the distribution of agricultural products. An additional investigation was conducted after sampling farmers’ markets that had started self-imposed inspection. The report will cover the background and objectivesthat led to farmers’ markets initiating self-imposed inspections and their inspection systems based on the results of this investigation. Initiatives required for the expansion of the self-imposed inspection system will be discussed