At the start of the 21st century, the spread of the internet drove the advancement of globalization, and information technologies began to change the composition of society. At the same time, the world started paying closer attention to the environment and food safety.

The food culture in Japan, meanwhile, was seeing greater international influence. Although all over the country there were already an array of restaurants specializing in various global cuisines, globalization had led to increased interaction among cultures and better access to information. This in turn expanded the range of cuisines available, diversifying individual and home food preferences. As a result, the population shifted away from the consumption of predominantly rice. Import volumes of foreign agricultural produce were also increasing year on year, pushing prices across the agricultural market down. Rice in particular had dropped to just 65% of its previous highest price, directly impacting rice farmers who made up the majority of Japan’s farming population. The income divide between agricultural businesses and companies widened, and agriculture became known as an unprofitable industry. Not only did this reduce the appeal of farming among the youth, it had a huge impact on aging farmers running small-scale farms. The number of individuals leaving the industry altogether increased, and the depopulation of rural areas progressed. Meanwhile, national policy^*1 played a part in abandoned and relinquished farmland being handed to business farmers,^*2 with the scale of farmland management rapidly increasing. Stemming from an aging population, the great divide between small-scale farms in shrinking rural areas and the rapidly growing scale of farms run by business farmers was increasingly apparent, with each having concerns of their own.

Against this backdrop, as a leading agricultural machinery manufacturer, Kubota rushed to roll out initiatives to support the farming population. The company thus proceeded to expand its lineup of products. For large-scale farms, Kubota worked to develop large-scale machinery that was highly functional, highly efficient, and highly powerful, while for small-scale farms, the company developed lightweight, compact machinery that was easy to operate and that could be purchased at low cost. At the same time, Kubota also began to focus on proposals for farm management. Transforming into a company that could provide the optimal solutions to farmers’ concerns through both hardware and software, Kubota took the lead in steering Japan toward a stronger agricultural industry through enhanced support and proposals.