In Japan, the aging population and a lack of younger individuals entering the agriculture sector have led to farms being abandoned and fields lying fallow, posing massive demographic challenges to the industry. In response, the government launched a national action plan to revitalize rural areas and curb the rural exodus. As part of this initiative, SAP Japan has collaborated with PSI, an SAP partner, and the local government of the town of Minano to encourage rural communities to thrive.
Located in the hills of Saitama Prefecture, the town of Minano has seen a decline in population due to the aging workforce in the agricultural sector. To address this issue, MINANO Future Create was established in 2019 by a group of residents from various professions to tackle the challenges resulting from depopulation. One of their projects, the Minano Digital Eco Farm, aims to connect farmers and urban residents through a communication platform and integrate small-scale dispersed farms into major supply chains through IoT sensors managed remotely.
The IoT sensors, managed through SAP Business Technology Platform, help monitor agricultural processes and ensure supply chain integrity. PSI’s Digital Material Controller (DMC) provides cybersecurity capabilities, allowing for secure data storage and transmission to SAP BTP for analysis and utilization. By integrating with SAP BTP, the deployment locations can be monitored on a dashboard. Two proofs of concept for farms and one for a miso factory have been completed, with potential future applications in schools, hospitals, stores, and elder care facilities.
The Minano Digital Eco Farm project is supported by SAP employees in Japan as a corporate social responsibility initiative and benefits from the hometown tax payment program in Japan, which allows citizens to support regions they wish to engage with. The project aims to make Minano more appealing to inland tourists and offers return gifts that provide unique experiences in the town. By promoting Minano’s charm and addressing local challenges such as reclaiming abandoned farmland and increasing self-sufficiency in food production, the project contributes to the town’s development and advances the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
With the name “MINNANO” meaning “for everyone” in Japanese, the project aims to inspire rural communities beyond Saitama Prefecture and potentially even beyond Japan. By collaborating with SAP, the project hopes to showcase the impact that small-scale, dispersed farms facing economic challenges can have on rural communities globally. The project not only addresses the demographic challenges in Japan’s agricultural sector but also provides a model for sustainable development and innovation in rural areas worldwide.
