From Land Competition to Reactivation: Governing Agrivoltaics in Depopulating Japan

This paper examines the governance of agrivoltaics (AV) in the context of Japan’s rapid rural depopulation and farmland abandonment. While AV is traditionally framed as a solution to land-use competition, this study argues that in shrinking regions, the primary challenge is not land scarcity but a shortage of human capacity to manage multifunctional landscapes. The analysis explores the multi-dimensional synergies and trade-offs of AV, which requires careful coordination across distinct governance levels: managing contractual risks and benefits between power producers and farmers, ensuring social acceptance and landscape preservation among local community stakeholders, and aligning with broader societal goals such as food security and decarbonization. Current governance in Japan is often siloed, with rigid sectoral regulations that struggle to adapt to local demographic realities. To address these issues, the paper proposes an integrated, multi-level governance framework built on three pillars: first, role differentiation between national safeguards and local flexibility; second, administrative feasibility through tiered screening processes to accommodate limited municipal capacity; and third, the involvement of intermediary organizations to provide technical support. Ultimately, the study advocates for shifting AV from a purely technical solution to a strategic tool for sustaining rural livelihoods and ecosystem services in post-growth societies.