Lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 crisis, along with the pressing issues of climate change and the biodiversity crisis, have spurred consumers to embrace urban farming.  
Urban farming involves growing plants in spaces such as balconies, leased farmland, or community gardens, making it accessible even for those without their own farmland. It also includes cultivating crops in urban centers where empty lots are scarce, by utilizing rooftops and balconies.
Originally emerging overseas, urban farming often involves community gardens rather than leased farmland. In these gardens, participants work together to grow plants and crops, fostering stronger community ties through both farming activities and events related to agriculture.

Urban farming offers several practical benefits, including "reviving community," "enhancing food education," "protecting and improving the environment," "increasing local sourcing," "preserving biodiversity," and "boosting well-being." During the COVID-19 crisis, particularly between 2020 and 2021 when people were restricted from going out or traveling, Japan experienced a rapid increase in leased farmland. However, as the government lifted activity restrictions, this growth began to slow. Around the same time, community gardens, the gardening plots typically managed by volunteers within a community, emerged. While farmland leases became more popular in suburban areas as a way to utilize empty lots, community gardens of various sizes began appearing in metropolitan areas such as Otemachi, Shibuya, Odaiba, and Shinjuku starting around 2022.  

Future Outlook

Despite the sluggishness of the past year or two, we believe there is still growth potential in the gardening and vegetable gardening market.
Plant producers and seed/seedling companies are responding to the emerging needs of both new customers and long-time home gardeners by developing easy-to-care-for, heatwave-resistant flower and vegetable seedlings.
Gardening supply manufacturers are also innovating, creating space-saving plant pots and designing other gardening supplies that complement home interiors. Additionally, the market for biostimulants, the products that enhance plants' tolerance to abiotic stresses and improve crop yields, is gradually expanding, alongside the continued demand for organic fertilizers and insecticides/pesticides made from food-derived vinegar.

The sharp increase in vegetable prices during the spring of FY2024, coupled with rising costs for consumer goods and food overall, has heightened interest in kitchen gardens. As a result, demand for beginner-friendly plants and fast-growing herbs for cooking is on the rise. With suppliers focusing on attracting new customers, we project the gardening and vegetable gardening market will grow to 239,400 million yen by FY2029 (up by 3.1% from FY2023).

Research Outline