Tohoku Agricultural Research Center, NARO

In response to the nuclear accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant following the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Agricultural Radiation Research Center was established in 2012 at the Fukushima Research Center (Fukushima City), which is located close to the disaster area. Immediately after its establishment, it concluded a partnership agreement with Fukushima Prefecture and has been engaged in various research and development to support agricultural reconstruction. In terms of dispelling rumors of agricultural products in the disaster area, establishment of measures to reduce the transfer of radioactive cesium (137Cs), which has a half-life of 30 years, to agricultural products has to be carried out as a urgent task. Hence, we are proceeding with initiatives such as the development of technologies for evaluation and countermeasure to ensure the safety of agricultural products and food. In addition, by supporting the development of labor-saving management techniques for agricultural facilities such as farmlands and agricultural houses to cope with the decrease in the agricultural population in the disaster-stricken areas due to evacuation and the formation of a network that enables information sharing among producers, we are promoting the smooth start of farming on farmlands that were scheduled to resume farming for a long time and the development of technologies that enable farming with a small number of people using the network. Through these R & D activities, we will contribute to promoting the resumption of farming in areas affected by nuclear power plants.