Report No.230702

NEWS

- Domestic -

Basic Plan is Finalized for Promotion of Food Awareness Education

Council for the Promotion of Food Awareness Education, which Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi chairs, held a meeting on March 31 at the prime minister's official residence and finalized the Basic Plan for the Promotion of Food Awareness Education. The plan serves as a guidepost in promoting the food awareness campaign over the next five years with 2010 as the target year. The related ministries would now have it reflected in the Basic Policies for Economic and Fiscal Management and Structural Reform or the so-called 'Large Boned Policy' as it defines the frame of budget for the fiscal 2007.

The Basic Plan has been drafted based on the Basic Law for Food Awareness Education, which was enacted in June 2005. The plan incorporates nine items with numerical targets for the year 2010 such as reduced proportion of elementary school children who do not take breakfast, increased percentage of local produce used for school meals and increase among the public who have interest in food awareness education.

Prime Minister Koizumi showed his zest in the food awareness campaign saying "I would expect to see it promoted as a national campaign."

Target Numbers for the Food Awareness Education

	Item of promotion	Current status	2010 target
1	% of people who have interest in food awareness education	70% (2005)	Above 90%
2	% of elementary school children who do not take breakfast meals	4% (2000) 　 Male in their 20s 30% (2003) Male in their 30s 23% (2003)	0% 　 Below 15% Below 15%
3	% of local produce used for school lunch	21% (2004)	Above 30%
4	% of people who keeps dietary lives with 'Balanced Food Guide' etc. in mind	40% (2005)	Above 60%
5	% of recognition about 'metabolic syndrome (internal organ fat)'		Above 80%
6	# of volunteers engaged in promoting food awareness education		20% increase over the current number
7	% of municipality engaged in 'educational farms'	42% (2005)	Above 60%
8	% of people with knowledge of food safety	40% (2005)	Above 60%
9	% of local government either drawing up or implementing promotion plan		100% of pref. gov. Above 50% of municipality

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