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The right information for the right career selection: can it assist Japan to achieve agricultural sustainability?

Author

Listed:
  • Muhammad Usman

    (Zayed University
    Hokkaido Agriculture Facilitators)

  • Jeffry Joseph Gayman

    (Hokkaido University)

  • Akinori Sawaya

    (Sapporo Kaisei Secondary School)

  • Kenichi Horiguchi

    (Japan Agricultural Cooperatives)

  • Mari Igarashi

    (Hokkaido Agriculture Facilitators)

  • Abdul Malik

    (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST))

Abstract

The sustainability of farming communities in Japan has become quite challenging because of the current aging population phenomenon. This situation gets more complicated with the fact that more than 70% of secondary school youth desire to have jobs related to science and technology, and no one wishes to adopt farming as their career path. The latest studies indicate that misinformation related to agricultural farming is the main reason that youth move away from adopting farming as their career option. In this research, all three pillars of sustainability have been encircled and the youth’s perception related to typhoons and farmers’ perception related to delayed snowfall tendency in recent times have been examined by using remote sensing data. A survey was conducted to observe the career selection trends of the youth at Sapporo Kaisei Secondary School located in Hokkaido. Though the students have prior information about the farming activities related to this research, it was found that among 313 participants, no one wanted to become a farmer. The cited reasons were mainly related to misinformation. With the help of Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA) officials, a follow-up event was arranged at Sapporo Kaisei Secondary School, and the youth were provided with correct information related to the farming profession. A questionnaire was administered to observe the effectiveness of the event. The results indicate that once correct information was provided, around 82% (23 out of 28) of the participants either strongly agreed or agreed to adopt farming as their career path. These results indicate that appropriate career counseling should be designed after analyzing the youth’s perceptions related to the specific field and understanding the accuracy of the information that the youth has for a specific field. This can help not only to achieve agricultural sustainability but could also assist in solving the challenges associated with the persistent flat unemployment rate of Japan. Furthermore, this research indicated that contrary to youth perception related to the increased frequency and related losses from climate change-associated typhoons, there has been no significant rise in typhoons over the last 5 years. Moreover, farmers’ perceptions related to late snowfall start time over the past few years can be validated using the albedo data.

Suggested Citation

  • Muhammad Usman & Jeffry Joseph Gayman & Akinori Sawaya & Kenichi Horiguchi & Mari Igarashi & Abdul Malik, 2025. "The right information for the right career selection: can it assist Japan to achieve agricultural sustainability?," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(5), pages 11563-11578, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:27:y:2025:i:5:d:10.1007_s10668-023-04369-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s10668-023-04369-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. İlkay Unay-Gailhard & Mark A. Brennen, 2022. "How digital communications contribute to shaping the career paths of youth: a review study focused on farming as a career option," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(4), pages 1491-1508, December.
    2. Muhammad Usman & Akinori Sawaya & Mari Igarashi & Jeffry Joseph Gayman & Rakesh Dixit, 2021. "Strained agricultural farming under the stress of youths’ career selection tendencies: a case study from Hokkaido (Japan)," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-8, December.
    3. Unay-Gailhard, İlkay & Brennen, Mark A., 2022. "How digital communications contribute to shaping the career paths of youth: A review study focused on farming as a career option," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 39(4), pages 1491-1508.
    4. Yashiro, Naohiro, 1997. "Aging of the population in Japan and its implications to the other Asian countries," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 8(2), pages 245-261.
    5. Aisa, Rosa & Cabeza, Josefina & Martin, Jorge, 2023. "Automation and aging: The impact on older workers in the workforce," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 26(C).
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