Symposium Papers / Creating a Community through Food

Abstract

Saitama European Vegetables Study Group was established in 2013 to locally produce and distribute European vegetables used in Italian restaurants around Saitama City. A group of young farmers in the area produce European vegetables, and a wholesaler who handles dried foods delivers them to restaurants around the city, forming the distribution system of this group. Farmers have been increasing the shipment value of European vegetables year by year under this distribution system. Additionally, the group has also provided vegetables for school lunches to foster local love and create fans. The activities of the group have been highlighted by the media and are increasingly attracting attention. At the G20 Agriculture Ministers' Meeting （2019), the group's efforts were presented as an advanced example of high value-added vegetable production in Japan. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the group is working on rebuilding the distribution system to increase the number of wholesalers, operating e-commerce sites to enable direct sales to consumers, opening an antenna shop, and developing processed products.