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Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda attended the Presentation Ceremony of the "Food and Community Solidarity" Selection held at the Prime Minister's Office and delivered a congratulatory address.

The ceremony was held with an aim to revitalize agriculture, forestry, and fishery industries, which produce food as the people's source of life, and rural and fishing villages that support the industries. Twenty-four innovative projects for regional revitalization that capitalize on intra- and inter-regional networks were selected as pioneering best practices, which would then be introduced and encouraged around Japan.

The Prime Minister said in his address, "Since the occurrence of the Great East Japan Earthquake last year, we reaffirmed the importance of ties among people, the depth of 'kizuna (bonds)'. In that context, I would like to express my sincere respect to you who are trying to create bonds beyond regions and generations and to create a community taking advantage of rich food culture and beautiful landscapes.
Today, I was able to realize anew that there certainly are people throughout Japan who have the aspiration to create rich agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries, and to build rural and fishing villages.
The government must securely back up these people's efforts. Last November, we compiled the Basic Policy and Action Plan for the Revival of the Food, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishery Industries in Japan.
In order to develop agriculture, forestry and fisheries into attractive growing industries and to revitalize rural and fishing villages, the government will continuously make steady efforts in line with the policy and plan.