智慧农业未来前景：聚焦日本及亚洲案例研究

The Asian Productivity Organization (APO)is an intergovernmental organization thatpromotes productivity as a key enablerfor socioeconomic development andorganizational and enterprise growth.It promotes productivity improvementtools, techniques, and methodologies;supportsthe National ProductivityOrganizations of its members; conductsresearch on productivity trends; anddisseminates productivity information,analyses,anddata.TheAPOwasestablishedin 1961 and comprises 21 members. APO Members Bangladesh, Cambodia, ROC, Fiji, HongKong, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republicof Iran, Japan, ROK, Lao PDR, Malaysia,Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines,Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkiye,and Vietnam. Future Prospects for SmartAgriculture: Focusing on CaseStudies in Japan and Asia Dr. Koichi Fukuda PRODUCTIVITY INSIGHTS Vol. 6-1 Future Prospects for Smart Agriculture: Focusing on Case Studies in Japan and Asia Dr. Koichi Fukuda wrote this publication. First edition published in Japanby the Asian Productivity Organization1-24-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-kuTokyo 113-0033, Japanwww.apo-tokyo.org © 2025 Asian Productivity Organization The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the official views of the AsianProductivity Organization (APO) or any APO member. All rights reserved. None of the contents of this publication may be used, reproduced, stored,or transferred in any form or by any means for commercial purposes without prior writtenpermission from the APO. Designed by Interbooks Co., Ltd. CONTENTS PREFACEVI INTRODUCTION 1.Definition and Drivers Behind the Promotion ofSmart Agriculture8 2.Current State of Smart Agriculture in Japan andOther Asian Regions14 3.Evaluation and Challenges of Smart Agriculture in Japan24 29 5.What Kind of Farmers Will Embrace Smart Agriculturein the Future?37 SUMMARY38 REFERENCES39 LIST OF TABLE 40 LIST OF FIGURES41 About the Author43 PREFACE The P-Insights, short for “Productivity Insights,” is an extension of the ProductivityTalk (P-Talk) series, which is a flagship program under the APO Secretariat’sdigital information initiative. Born out of both necessity and creativity under theprolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the interactive, livestreamed P-Talks bringpractitioners, experts, policymakers, and ordinary citizens from all walks of lifewith a passion for productivity to share their experience, views, and practical tipson productivity improvement. With speakers from every corner of the world, the P-Talks effectively conveyproductivity information to APO member economies and beyond. However, itwas recognized that many of the P-Talk speakers had much more to offer beyondthe 60-minute presentations and Q&A sessions that are the hallmarks of the series.To take full advantage of their broad knowledge and expertise, some were invitedto elaborate on their P-Talks, resulting in this publication. It is hoped that theP-Insights will give readers a deeper understanding of the practices and applicationsof productivity as they are evolving during the pandemic and being adapted tomeet different needs in the anticipated new normal. INTRODUCTION In Japan, the government began promoting smart agriculture through demonstrationprojects in 2019. Over the six years leading up to 2024, more than 200 suchprojects were carried out nationwide with government support. At the same time,each prefecture has implemented its own initiatives, revealing both achievementsand challenges. This report highlights key examples of smart agriculture practices in Japan andother Asian regions, aiming to identify core challenges and outline futuredirections. So far, Japan’s smart agriculture initiatives have mainly targeted large-scaleagricultural corporations, emphasizing mechanization such as self-driving tractorsand combines. However, moving forward, small- and medium-sized farmers, whomake up the majority of Japan’s farming population, will require smart agriculturepractices that offer high cost-effectiveness with minimal investment. It is alsoimportant to emphasize that such practical smart agriculture solutions can beadapted for other Asian regions as well. SMART AGRICULTURE 1.Definition and Drivers Behind the Promotion of SmartAgriculture (1) What is Smart Agriculture? First, what exactly is “smart agriculture”? Outside of Japan, it is often referred toas agri-tech or smart farming. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, ForestryandFisheries(MAFF),smart agriculture refers to efforts to improve theproductivity and operational efficiency of farming by using advanced technologiessuch as robotics, AI, and the IoT. FIGURE 1 Example of Applying Smart Agriculture to Rice Farming Taking rice farming as an example, smart agriculture technologies can be appliedto nearly every stage, from soil preparation to harvesting. More specifically,Japanese rice farmers can adopt technologies such as auto-steering tractors, waterlevel sensors, AI-based satellite crop analysis, pesticide-spraying dr