Zenkyoren (National Mutual Insurance Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives; President: Fumio Yanai), the JA Kyosai Research Institute (President: Kaoru Yoshimura), and the Japan Agriculture-Welfare Collaboration Association (Chairman: Yoshitsugu Minagawa) concluded a Comprehensive Partnership Agreement on 1 April 2023 with the aim of implementing support initiatives for sustainable regional and agricultural development through “Agriculture ‐Welfare Collaboration” and mutual collaboration and cooperation.

Zenkyoren had been aiming to create a community where its members and local residents can live prosperous and secure lives through “provision of coverage” and “community contribution activities”. In particular, in the area of community contribution activities, Zenkyoren established the Nakaizu Rehabilitation Center in the Shizuoka Prefecture and the Beppu Rehabilitation Center in the Oita Prefecture to “contribute to healthy and affluent lifestyles.” Zenkyoren has also been providing employment support for the disabled for 50 years in order to assist their reintegration into society.

In addition, as part of Zenkyoren’s “self-improvement initiatives aimed at revitalizing local communities and agriculture,” they developed various activities such as holding nursing care prevention classes and providing support for new farmers entering the agricultural industry and where there are labour shortages in the agricultural sector.

JA Kyosai Research Institute had long been conducting surveys and research on Japan agriculture and more general welfare collaboration for many years with the aim of contributing to the stability of the lives of residents and the improvement of welfare in rural areas. The Japan Agriculture-Welfare Collaboration Association serves as a platform for organisations and people involved in agriculture and welfare collaboration throughout Japan can participate and collaborate, disseminating a variety of information on “agriculture and fecundity cooperation,” connecting organisations and people, and promoting and developing “agriculture and welfare collaboration” initiatives.

Through the comprehensive partnership agreement among the three parties, they will work together to support “agriculture-welfare collaboration” for the revitalisation and sustainable development of the community and agriculture through the social participation of people with disabilities, for the realisation of an environment where people with disabilities can work with secure lives, and for the resolution of agricultural labor shortages.

The main focus of the activities arising thanks to this partnership are:

(1) The nationwide development and establishment of agricultural and welfare collaboration across Japan

(2) Understanding and analysing the actual status of agricultural and welfare collaboration

(3) Safety and security of agricultural work in conjunction with agricultural welfare collaboration, etc.