Investigating Agricultural Theft in Japan: A Qualitative Study of Japan Agricultural Cooperatives

Theft of agricultural produce and equipment, especially fruit, has become a serious issue in Japan. However, current understanding of the kinds of challenges each agricultural region faces, which is important to prevent agricultural theft and farmer victimization, is limited. Against this background, the current study involved interviews of stakeholders from Japan Agricultural Cooperatives to better understand the current situation of theft of agricultural products and equipment victimization, the introduction of prevention measures, as well as cooperation with related actors in agricultural theft prevention. In total, 11 semi-structured interviews were conducted. The results demonstrate that situations of agricultural theft vary across areas, and a poor harvest may lead to higher risks of theft. It was also found that implementing agricultural theft prevention measures has been difficult due to the limited budget and an ageing population, including farmers. Additionally, in accordance with prior literature in Western nations, some farmers were reluctant to report their victimization experiences to the police. The current study highlights the need for introducing a system through which farmers can report their victimization to the police easily during the harvest season and for conducting empirical research on trends in agricultural theft with a focus on the possibility of displacement of crime. In addition, the study emphasizes the importance of implementing crime prevention measures that reflect the characteristics of rural areas and promote mutual understanding among community members.