Establishment of the 'Next-Generation Agribusiness Council' to Aim for Food Security and Agricultural Industry Development Across Industries
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, SMBC, and JRI have established the 'Next-Generation Agribusiness Council' to support the expansion and advanced management of agricultural corporations, contributing to Japan's food security.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 10:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 24, 2026 at 03:53 (17h 21m after Collected)
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (President and Group CEO: Toru Nakashima, hereinafter 'SMFG'), Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (President and CEO: Akihiro Fukutome, hereinafter 'SMBC'), and The Japan Research Institute, Limited (President and CEO: Atsushi Uchikawa, hereinafter 'JRI') established the 'Next-Generation Agribusiness Council' (hereinafter 'the Council') on April 23, 2026, aiming to contribute to Japan's food security and the growth of the food and agriculture industry.
In this Council, agricultural corporations, private operators involved in food and agriculture, financial institutions, and local governments will consider and implement support services and disseminate information such as policy and institutional proposals that contribute to solving issues associated with scale expansion and management sophistication, primarily targeting land-use crops such as rice.
■ Background
Against the backdrop of increasing instability in global affairs and the progression of climate change, the importance of food security is rising once again. On the other hand, the production base at the site of agricultural production is noticeably weakening due to labor shortages and an aging population. In particular, land-use crops like rice, which are the cornerstone of food security, require the maintenance and management of extensive farmlands and are closely related to land use of the entire region; however, compared to other crops, there is an increase in abandoned cultivated land and the aging of producers, making the securing of a stable production system for the future a major challenge.
Under these circumstances, in recent years, there has been a movement aiming at the consolidation and collaboration of management resources and scale expansion as a response to business succession and labor shortages. Agricultural corporations working on scale expansion and management sophistication are expected to become the core players in regional production and employment, as they can serve as a receptacle for new farmers. In the future, support measures and related services according to the growth stage, such as business management, securing human resources, and financing, will become even more important.
■ Activities
To support the productivity improvement and management stability/growth of agricultural corporations cultivating land-use crops like rice, the Council will promote the scale expansion and management sophistication of corporations, aiming to construct and expand an efficient production system. Through this, it aims to transform agriculture into a growth industry and contribute to the realization of Japan's food security.
Specifically, in collaboration with industry organizations and related institutions, it will systematically organize issues such as management, human resources, and systems, and carry out technology verification, consideration of support services, and policy/institutional proposals. In particular, targeting agricultural corporations aiming for scale expansion and large-scale agricultural corporations in the growth stage, it will consider the ideal state of systems and services that support the strengthening of functions to accept new farmers, expansion of production/management scale, and independence support, promoting the improvement of an environment for the next-generation food and agriculture industry to develop as a 'profitable' and 'growing' business.
In carrying out activities, consideration working groups (hereinafter 'Working Groups') will be established for each theme, and while sharing information among Working Groups, consideration of solutions that cross-sectionally capture the issues necessary for the fostering and support of agricultural corporations will proceed.
The activity period will be three years, and the knowledge and results obtained by this Council will lead to social implementation and popularization through a phased delegation of roles to related support organizations.
■ Overview of the Council
[Name] Next-Generation Agribusiness Council
[Activity Period] April 23, 2026 - March 31, 2029
[Members] (In alphabetical order, excluding the secretariat)
The Akita Bank, Ltd., Agrinote Inc., Agro Ecology Inc., Ogatamura Akitakomachi Producers Association Co., Ltd., Green System Corporation, JSOL Corporation, Shinmei Holdings Co., Ltd., Daiwa Food & Agri Co., Ltd., Nakamori Nousan Co., Ltd., Development Bank of Japan Inc., Japan Strategic Investment Co., Ltd., The Norinchukin Bank, Butai Farm Co., Ltd., Mirai Kyoso Farm Akita Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Company, Limited, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc., Yamatane Corporation, YUIME Inc., The Japan Research Institute, Limited (Secretariat)
[Working Groups] Along with the establishment of the Council, the following two working groups were set up.
◆ Funding Securing Consideration Working Group for Large-scale Incorporation
It will consider the ideal state of finance that simultaneously realizes the strengthening of the financial base and growth investment through the supply of risk money necessary during the growth phase toward scale expansion. In addition, it will proceed with initiatives with a view to establishing successful models of large-scale management through post-investment management advice and business co-creation, and rolling them out horizontally.
◆ Farmland Consolidation Model Construction Consideration Working Group
With a view to collaborating with related institutions, it will consider the construction of a model to consolidate farmland on a regional basis and smoothly succeed it to agricultural corporations that will become the key players. Specifically, it envisions selecting agricultural corporations that will be the core of the region, organizing issues related to farmland consolidation, and establishing a support model that sustains farmland utilization across the entire region, as well as its horizontal rollout.
Furthermore, in the future, considerations will also proceed on securing and fostering agricultural management human resources, productivity improvement through smart agriculture, and sales channel cultivation including exports, setting up working groups as necessary.
In this Council, agricultural corporations, private operators involved in food and agriculture, financial institutions, and local governments will consider and implement support services and disseminate information such as policy and institutional proposals that contribute to solving issues associated with scale expansion and management sophistication, primarily targeting land-use crops such as rice.
■ Background
Against the backdrop of increasing instability in global affairs and the progression of climate change, the importance of food security is rising once again. On the other hand, the production base at the site of agricultural production is noticeably weakening due to labor shortages and an aging population. In particular, land-use crops like rice, which are the cornerstone of food security, require the maintenance and management of extensive farmlands and are closely related to land use of the entire region; however, compared to other crops, there is an increase in abandoned cultivated land and the aging of producers, making the securing of a stable production system for the future a major challenge.
Under these circumstances, in recent years, there has been a movement aiming at the consolidation and collaboration of management resources and scale expansion as a response to business succession and labor shortages. Agricultural corporations working on scale expansion and management sophistication are expected to become the core players in regional production and employment, as they can serve as a receptacle for new farmers. In the future, support measures and related services according to the growth stage, such as business management, securing human resources, and financing, will become even more important.
■ Activities
To support the productivity improvement and management stability/growth of agricultural corporations cultivating land-use crops like rice, the Council will promote the scale expansion and management sophistication of corporations, aiming to construct and expand an efficient production system. Through this, it aims to transform agriculture into a growth industry and contribute to the realization of Japan's food security.
Specifically, in collaboration with industry organizations and related institutions, it will systematically organize issues such as management, human resources, and systems, and carry out technology verification, consideration of support services, and policy/institutional proposals. In particular, targeting agricultural corporations aiming for scale expansion and large-scale agricultural corporations in the growth stage, it will consider the ideal state of systems and services that support the strengthening of functions to accept new farmers, expansion of production/management scale, and independence support, promoting the improvement of an environment for the next-generation food and agriculture industry to develop as a 'profitable' and 'growing' business.
In carrying out activities, consideration working groups (hereinafter 'Working Groups') will be established for each theme, and while sharing information among Working Groups, consideration of solutions that cross-sectionally capture the issues necessary for the fostering and support of agricultural corporations will proceed.
The activity period will be three years, and the knowledge and results obtained by this Council will lead to social implementation and popularization through a phased delegation of roles to related support organizations.
■ Overview of the Council
[Name] Next-Generation Agribusiness Council
[Activity Period] April 23, 2026 - March 31, 2029
[Members] (In alphabetical order, excluding the secretariat)
The Akita Bank, Ltd., Agrinote Inc., Agro Ecology Inc., Ogatamura Akitakomachi Producers Association Co., Ltd., Green System Corporation, JSOL Corporation, Shinmei Holdings Co., Ltd., Daiwa Food & Agri Co., Ltd., Nakamori Nousan Co., Ltd., Development Bank of Japan Inc., Japan Strategic Investment Co., Ltd., The Norinchukin Bank, Butai Farm Co., Ltd., Mirai Kyoso Farm Akita Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Company, Limited, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc., Yamatane Corporation, YUIME Inc., The Japan Research Institute, Limited (Secretariat)
[Working Groups] Along with the establishment of the Council, the following two working groups were set up.
◆ Funding Securing Consideration Working Group for Large-scale Incorporation
It will consider the ideal state of finance that simultaneously realizes the strengthening of the financial base and growth investment through the supply of risk money necessary during the growth phase toward scale expansion. In addition, it will proceed with initiatives with a view to establishing successful models of large-scale management through post-investment management advice and business co-creation, and rolling them out horizontally.
◆ Farmland Consolidation Model Construction Consideration Working Group
With a view to collaborating with related institutions, it will consider the construction of a model to consolidate farmland on a regional basis and smoothly succeed it to agricultural corporations that will become the key players. Specifically, it envisions selecting agricultural corporations that will be the core of the region, organizing issues related to farmland consolidation, and establishing a support model that sustains farmland utilization across the entire region, as well as its horizontal rollout.
Furthermore, in the future, considerations will also proceed on securing and fostering agricultural management human resources, productivity improvement through smart agriculture, and sales channel cultivation including exports, setting up working groups as necessary.