The current food and
agriculture situation in Japan
Yosuke Ota
WTO and EPA office
Agricultural policy department
Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives
(JA-ZENCHU)
1
Agricultural situation
in Japan
2
Situation of Japanese agriculture
Structural change of agriculture in Japan
1965
Cultivated area
(Unit: 1,000ha)
6,000
Abandoned cultivated area
(Unit: 1,000ha)
75
85
95
2005
5,570
5,380
5,040
4,690
131
135
244
386
Total numbers of farmer’s houses
(Unit: 1,000 houses)
5,660
4,950
4,230
3,440
2,850
Agricultural workforce
(Unit: 1,000 people)
8,940
4,890
3,460
2,560
2,240
19.5%
39.7%
57.4%
over 65 years old
3
Abandoned
Area
Scenery
In Rural area
4
International comparison
Japan
United
States of
America
EU
Australia
Cultivated land
(Unit: million hectares)
5
173
121
45
Comparing with Japan
-
37x
26x
10x
Cultivated land per a farmer
(Unit: a hectare)
2
182
17
3,408
Comparing with Japan
-
99x
9x 1,862x
5
The value of agricultural production
and net agricultural income.
Trend of the value of agricultural
production by product category
others
fruit
vegetable
livestock
Rice
13,400
Unit: billion yen
2,700
10,100
1,200
2,800
3,800
2,400
1,000
2,100
2,800
9,700
Trend of agricultural income
1 US$ = 84.93 yen (24th Sep, 2010)
6.1
Unit: trillion yen
5.0
1,900
800
4.0
3.2
2,100
3,000
3,000
2,300
1,900
1991
2001
2006
1990
1995
2000
2006
6
Agricultural policy in Japan
Establishment of the renewed Basic Plan
for Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas.
Targets in 2020 of production volume (Unit: 1,000t)
Wheat: 880 (2008) → 1,800 (2020)
Soybean: 260 (2008) → 600 (2020)
Rice for rice flour:
1 (2008) → 500 (2020)
Rice for animal feed:
9 (2008) → 700 (2020)
Total planted area(10,000ha) 426(2008) → 495(2020)
7
Action to expand the participation of
women in society, Japan
No. of businesses
10,000
Sales of 3 million yen or more
8,186
8,000
7,327
69%
6,000
72%
4,000
2,000
9,050
64%
3,298
9,533
59%
3,455
Group
business
2,971
2,499
28%
31%
37%
2001
03
05
41%
Individual
business
0
07
Source: MAFF
8
Cooking
Class
Welfare
Activity
9
AGRICULTURAL TRADE
10
Dependence heavily on imported
agricultural products from specific countries
Japan’s import trading partner
Imported agricultural products
Corn
Soybean
(2008)
Brazil
other
USA
Total import
Value
71 billion US$
Canada
Australia
China
USA
USA
Wheat
Australia
Beef
Canada
USA
USA
Australia
11
Structures of Agriculture tariff in Japan
Tariff
Rates
About
10%
75%
Rice, Wheat, Dairy, Sugar
Few
products
Orange juice, Ice cream
50%
About
20%
Vegetable, cut flower
25%
About
70%
Number of
tariff lines
12
The effect on domestic agricultural sector in case
of abolition of tariffs on all agricultural tariffs
(government estimate)
The value of agricultural production
▲106 billion US$
Gross Domestic Product
▲3.75 million
Employment Opportunities
Self-sufficient ratio
▲42 billion US$
40%
12%
13
DOHA DEVELOPMENT ROUND OF WTO
WTO: World Trade Organization
14
Advocate of JA-Group on WTO
28th Jun, 2006: Geneva
Joint statement by agricultural organizations from 54
countries.
“Don’t sell food concerns for trade”
• Gives developing countries with vulnerable agricultural
sectors real opportunities to improve their situation
• The current trade talks in WTO are focused on a single
objective – to promote more trade – and ignore these
wider concerns.
19th Mar, 2009: Rome
Common Declaration of Farmers’ Union of the G8 member
countries.
• Food is essential and should not be considered simply as
another commodity; improving agricultural productivity
and competitiveness must therefore be a central part of
development policies.
15
Advocate of JA-Group on WTO
25th Feb, 2010: Hanoi
Joint Statement of the Asian Farmers’ group for
Cooperation: India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
• Commercialization and intensification of agriculture in
the context of globalization and liberalization are often
proceeded to the detriment of small farmers. It’s
important to facilitate cooperation among farmers in Asia,
while avoiding unnecessary conflicts and competition
among them.
18th Mar, 2010: Tokyo
International Symposium on WTO Agricultural Negotiation
• Draft WTO agreement would be in total contradiction
with international commitments undertaken by WTO
Member State such as the UN Millennium Development
Goals, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the
UN International Covenant on Economic, Social and
cultural Rights which aim at reducing and preventing
16
poverty and hunger.
Multiple functions carried out by
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries
Watershed
Conservation of the Conservation of
cultivation
biodiversity
global environment
Prevention of sediment
Prevention of
disaster and soil conservation
soil erosion
Matter production
Prevention of
Prevention of flooding
Formation of a comfortable
landsides
by retaining rainwater
environment
Formation of
a good landscape
Water purification
Watershed
Maintenance of
Cultural functions
cultivation
cultural traditions
Health and recreation
Climate alleviation
functions
Conservation of
mechanism
the ecosystem
Organic waste disposal
Provision of exchange
opportunities
Maintenance of traditional
fishing methods and other
examples of traditional culture
Water purification
Conservation of
the ecosystem
Supplementing the circulation of
nitrogen and phosphorus through fishing
Marine salvage
Disaster relief
Conservation of the
marine environment
Monitoring of the
marine environment
17