The current food and agriculture situation in Japan

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The current food and agriculture situation in
Japan
Yosuke Ota WTO and EPA office Agricultural policy
department Central Union of Agricultural
Cooperatives (JA-ZENCHU)
2
Agricultural situationin Japan
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Situation of Japanese agriculture
Structural change of agriculture in Japan
1965 75 85 95 2005
Cultivated area (Unit 1,000ha) 6,000 5,570 5,380 5,040 4,690
Abandoned cultivated area (Unit 1,000ha) 131 135 244 386
Total numbers of farmers 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
over 65 years old 19.5 39.7 57.4
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AbandonedArea
Scenery In Rural area
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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
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The value of agricultural production and net
agricultural income.
Trend of the value of agricultural production by
product category
Trend of agricultural income
1 US 84.93 yen (24th Sep, 2010)
Unit billion yen
others
Unit trillion yen
fruit
vegetable
livestock
Rice
1991
2001
2006
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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)
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Action to expand the participation of women in
society, Japan
No. of businesses
9,533
10,000
9,050
Sales of 3 million yen or more
59 3,455
64 3,298
8,186
8,000
69 2,971
7,327
Group business
72 2,499
6,000
4,000
41
37
31
Individual business
28
2,000
0
05
03
2001
07
Source MAFF
9
WelfareActivity
CookingClass
10
Agricultural Trade
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Dependence heavily on imported agricultural
products from specific countries
Japans import trading partner
Imported agricultural products
Corn
Soybean
(2008)
Brazil
other
USA
USA
USA
Total import Value
71 billion US
Beef
Wheat
Canada
Australia
USA
Australia
Canada
China
USA
Australia
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Structures of Agriculture tariff in Japan
Tariff Rates
Rice, Wheat, Dairy, Sugar
About 10
75
Few products
Orange juice, Ice cream
50
Vegetable, cut flower
About 20
25
About 70
Number of tariff lines
13
The effect on domestic agricultural sector in
case of abolition of tariffs on all agricultural
tariffs (government estimate)
The value of agricultural production
?42 billion US
Gross Domestic Product ?106
billion US
Employment Opportunities
?3.75 million
Self-sufficient ratio 40
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Doha Development Round of WTO

• WTO World Trade Organization

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Advocate of JA-Group on WTO

• 28th Jun, 2006 Geneva
• Joint statement by agricultural organizations
  from 54 countries.
• Dont 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.

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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. Its 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 poverty and hunger.

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Multiple functions carried out by Agriculture,
forestry and fisheries
Watershed cultivation
Conservation of biodiversity
Conservation of the global environment
Prevention of sediment disaster and soil
conservation
Prevention of soil erosion
Matter production
Prevention of landsides
Prevention of flooding by retaining rainwater
Formation of a comfortable environment
Formation of a good landscape
Water purification
Watershed cultivation
Cultural functions
Maintenance of cultural traditions
Health and recreation functions
Climate alleviation mechanism
Conservation of 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