Innovations in Food System which Connect Food, Agriculture, and Producing Regions

From the viewpoint of the food system, innovations can be defined as follows: (1) managerial innovation and expansion of agricultural successors by promoting the farmer's business, (2) deepening of contract conditions between food enterprises and produce-producing regions, (3) establishment of value chains, and (4) building of local platforms. The place branding combines both the bundle of values and images created by local resources (brand equity), which in turn accelerates the reinvigoration of regional economies. The bundle of values consists of three factors which define the food quality, such as food safety, eating quality, and food functionality. The food enterprises and producing regions share strategies to enhance values, and strengthen the value chain by taking advantage of the bundle of values and developing PB products. They also enhance their partnership by improving terms and conditions of contract, and sharing the risks of supply-demand adjustment and price fluctuation. Moreover, the food enterprises which join the local platform undertake a role as social business, and promote the innovations by establishing the consortium in collaboration with academia and government. The consortium consequently plays the similar role to the industry cluster by working in concert with the local platform.