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The most commonly suggested methods of
increasing the self-sufficiency ratio were
"Producers should work to
increase quality and safety and reduce costs"
and "Agriculture,
forestry and fisheries and the food industry
should receive policy
support". By contrast,
"Consumption of domestically produced
foods should be encouraged, e.g.
through a reappraisal of traditional foods"
and "Consumers should
make an effort to reduce the volume of leftovers
and imports should be reduced
in proportion" were cited by only 30%
of respondents. Overall, the results indicate a tendency
to place greater hopes on action by producers
than on the independent efforts
of consumers. When those respondents who said they
felt the self-sufficiency ratio should be
increased where asked why, the most
common reasons cited were "To increase
the supply of domestically produced
food, which offers greater safety and peace
of mind", "To help
prevent the depopulation of mountain, farming
and fishing villages and the
hollowing out of the domestic food industry"
and "To prepare against
a time when it may not be possible to assure
a stable food supply by means of
imports", all cited by around 50% of
respondents in this group. By age as well as by gender, more than
80% of respondents felt the self-sufficiency
ratio should be raised,
highlighting popular concern over t lochhe low ratio. Moreover, 80% of respondents said they
were "intrigued" as to whether
foodstuffs used in restaurant meals
were imported or domestically produced.
More than 90% said they would choose dishes
prepared with domestically
produced foodstuffs "even if they were
more expensive" or "if
they were the same price" as dishes
prepared with imported foodstuffs,
indicating a high preference for domestically
produced foods. Under the draft Law, anyone wishing to
produce or import GMOs for the purpose of outdoor
cultivation will be required to apply for
the prior approval of the government,
attaching proposed regulations on the use
of the GMOs
and an assessment of impact on biological
diversity. [Return]
MHLW Research Team
Finds Somatic Cell Cloned Cattle are "Safe" The research team has been
investigating the safety of somatic cell
cloned cattle since FY 1999. Having collected and examined data on
the development, reproductive functions,
death rates, etc. of somatic cell cloned
cattle born at research facilities both in
Japan and overseas, the team has
concluded that milk and beef from such animals
presents no problem in terms of
safety. However, owing to the presence of a
number of uncertain factors (e.g. the high
death rate among somatic cell cloned
animals), the report also states, explicitly,
that caution is required in view
of the fact that somatic cell cloning is
a new technology, and calls for the
establishment of systems to deal with any
problems that may arise if products
from somatic cell cloned cattle are released
onto the market. On the basis of this report, MHLW plans
to ask the Food Safety Commission, which
is to be established in July this
year, to assess the safety of somatic cell
cloned cattle before making its
final decision on the matter. Now
that the report has confirmed the safety
of somatic cell cloned cattle, the
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
plans, as soon as possible, to
establish channels through which to ask the
opinion of consumers, livestock
farmers and distributors, and to begin considering
how to handle issues
relating to shipping, etc. The first somatic cell cloned calf was
born in Japan in 1998. As of the
end of February 2003, a total of 336 somatic
cell cloned cattle have been born
at some 40 research facilities.
Around half (162) of these animals were stillborn
or died of disease at
an early age.
[Return]
The report is due to be approved by the
Cabinet and presented to the Diet on April
18. The report reveals that between 1991
and 2000, the world's forests diminished
by a total of 94 million hectares, an
area roughly 2.5 times the size of Japan.
It warns that this loss will have severe
consequences, in that it will
lead to a rise in the concentration of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere (a
cause of global warming), and aggravate problems
such as drought and
desertification. The report urges that greater publicity
be given to the involvement of central government,
local government bodies,
forest-related and forestry organizations,
and NPOs
(non-profit organizations) in forest maintenance,
and stresses that, to ensure
that Japan continues to benefit from the
multi-functionality of forests,
"It is important that we manage and
protect our forests with the support
and participation of the general public." The report stresses the importance of
education regarding forests and their role
in the ecosystem in schools, the
conservation of local woodland, forest volunteer
activities, and exchange
between cities and rural villages in promoting
a deeper understanding of the
importance of forests among the general public. [Return]
Report on JA Reform
Calls for Action to Promote Business Transformation Accelerating the reform of economic
businesses has been the central theme in
the deliberations of the Study
Commission. Under the title of
"A Driving Force for the Reform of Agricultural
Cooperative", the
report calls on JA Zenchu to show stronger
leadership. Specifically, it says
JA Zenchu should play a central role in the drafting
of "voluntary rules" on economic
businesses (along the lines of the
"voluntary rules" for the reform
of credit business drawn up by the Norinchukin Bank), and should supervise their
implementation. It also urges the creation of
"voluntary rules" on management
systems that will ensure that persons
with business skills are involved in the
management of business
activities. The rules would include
the establishment of systems to ensure that
business management is entrusted to
persons skilled in this area, allowing the
engagement of such persons from
outside the JA Group, the introduction of
a retirement age and restrictions on
the holding of multiple posts by officials,
the establishment of management
supervisory committees in larger JA cooperatives,
and the engagement of "core
farmers" as directors.
Yoshiyuki Kamei
Succeeds Tadamori Oshima as
Agriculture Minister On April 1, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi appointed Mr. Yoshiyuki Kamei (age
66), a member of the Liberal Democratic Party,
as Minister of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries, succeeding Tadamori Oshima, who had recently tendered his resignation. At a press conference on the same day,
the new Minister told reporters, "I
am aware that the people of Japan want
to see a radical form of the administration
of agriculture, forestry and
fisheries", indicating that he intends
to continue the reforms of
agricultural administration launched by former
Minister Tadamori
Oshima.
With regard to the WTO (World Trade Organization)
agriculture
negotiations, in which agreement on the "modalities"
(standards for
the reduction of protection measures) has
been delayed, Mr. Kamei said,
"Japan will coordinate with the EU and
other parties, with the aim of
achieving a realistic and balanced agreement
that reflects Japan's needs,"
indicating that he would do his utmost to
bring about the realization of the
Japanese proposals. With regard to the future management of
agricultural administration, Mr. Kamei told
reporters, "It is urgent that
we overhaul policy on food, agriculture and
farming villages, giving due
consideration to the needs of the consumer,"
stressing that he intended to
continue the reform process. In
terms of directions for agricultural administration
he declared, "I shall
seek to ensure that policy measures gain
widespread support from the people of
Japan." On the reform of rice policy, the focal
point of which, during the current session
of the Diet, has been a proposed
revision of the Staple Food Law, the new
Minister said he believes the support
of actual producers is the key to the success
of the reform process, telling
reporters, "Both the government and
farmers' associations must take pains
to ensure that the reforms are approved by
producers." On the issue of food safety, he
stressed, "The most important thing
is that suppliers should not cease in
their efforts [to supply safe food],"
calling on producers and
distributors to step up their self-help efforts. On the reform of the JA Group, Mr. Kamei
told reporters, "We will be pressing
ahead with reforms in accordance with
the findings of the Study Commission on JA
Reform. In doing so, we will need the
cooperation of the JA cooperatives."
[Return]
On March 19, the Ministry of
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries published
a statement setting out its
position on the revised first draft
of the "modalities" for the WTO
(World Trade Organization)
agriculture negotiations proposed by Mr.
Stuart Harbinson,
Chairman of the Special Session of the WTO
Committee on Agriculture, which says
that the revised draft is excessively favorable
to exporting countries and
therefore unacceptable as a whole.
The content of the statement can be summarized
as follows: Apart from a few modifications, such as
tariff reduction rates for developing countries,
the content of the revised
draft of the "modalities" for the
agriculture negotiations is largely
the same as that of the first draft, in terms
of key elements such as the
approach to tariff for developed countries,
and still incorporates a number of
fundamental flaws, including the section
on tariff harmonization and the
imbalanced treatment of importing and exporting
countries. For these reasons, Japan's position on
the revised draft is the same as on the first
draft. In other words, the suggested method of
tariff reduction essentially reflects the
concept of harmonization, which calls
for the elimination of tariff differences
for all products, and, as it fails to
take account of non-trade concerns and lacks
balance in the burden on member
countries, is excessively favorable to certain
exporting countries and
unacceptable as a whole. As Japan has maintained throughout, it
is essential that the "modalities"
should take due account of
non-trade concerns, and should assure "flexibility
among
commodities", "continuity of reform"
and "balance between
exporting and importing countries". At the negotiations which are due to
begin in Geneva on March 25, Japan will coordinate
its efforts with the EU and
other parties and will continue to make every
effort to win the support of as
many other countries as possible for this
position. Japan will continue to press for the
establishment of realistic and comprehensive
"modalities". [Return]
Japanese, Korean
Ministers Agree Revised "Modalities"
Draft Should Not
be Used as Basis for Agriculture Negotiations On March 20, at the 4th Session of the
Meeting of Japanese and Korean Ministers
With Responsibility for Agriculture,
held in Tokyo at the Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries, Japanese Minister
of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Tadamori Oshima and Korean Minister of Agriculture, Forestry
and
Fisheries Young-jin Kim agreed to press for a
fundamental reworking of the revised first
draft of the "modalities"
(standards for the reduction of protection
measures) proposed by Chairman of
the Special Session of the WTO Committee
on Agriculture Stuart Harbinson, taking full account of the multi-functionality
of agriculture. Mr. Oshima also held a telephone conference with EU
Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development
and Fisheries Franz Fischler, during which it was agreed that the revised
first
draft should not serve as a basis for negotiations. At the Meeting of Japanese and Korean
Ministers With Responsibility for Agriculture,
Mr. Oshima
singled out a number of problems with the
revised first draft, such as the fact
that it is favorable to certain exporting
countries, and proposed that Japan
and Korea should seek a full-scale review
of the draft at the agriculture
negotiations which are due to begin on March
25. Mr. Kim observed that [the revised first
draft] takes proper account neither of the
multi-functionality of agriculture
nor of non-trade concerns, and said that
Korea would coordinate its efforts
with those of Japan. The two ministers
agreed to strengthen their cooperative relationships
with the EU and other
parties, and to seek the support of other
countries for their position. [Return]
On March 21, the Ministerial Meeting on
Water for Food and Agriculture, held as part
of the 3rd World Water Forum in
the city of Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, adopted a
recommendation that recognizes that efficiency
in the development and
management of agricultural water supplies
is the most important issue if food
production is to be increased with a view
to alleviating poverty. The recommendation also emphasized the
importance of the multi-functionality of
paddy fields and other agricultural
water systems. Hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the FAO
(Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations), the Ministerial Meeting
was attended by ministers and
representatives with responsibility for agricultural
water supplies from 33
countries and 10 international organizations. Noting that, in some regions of the
world, excessive use of agriculture water
is depleting water resources, the
recommendation proposes a need for "sustainable
water use" linked to
the conservation of ecosystems. The
recommendation also refers to th At a press conference, Japanese
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Tadamori
Oshima told reporters that "Trade in
agricultural products was not discussed directly,
but we were able to agree on
the basic philosophy that all countries should
use water in a sustainable
manner to increase food production.
Many of the countries represented recognize
the importance of [food]
self-sufficiency." Dr. Jacques
Diouf, Director-General of the FAO told reporters,
"To achieve our goal of halving the number of people in the world
who suffer from hunger (currently more than
800 million), we must increase food
production by 60%. Investment in
irrigation will be the key to increasing
production." [Return]
On March 28, a plenary session of the
House of Councilors passed a Revised Customs
Tariff Law, which includes
provisions that will make it possible for
imports of agricultural products
grown from varieties taken out of Japan without
the breeder's permission to be
stopped at customs. The revised law
comes into effect on April 1. If
Customs accepts a claim by a breeder that
agricultural products are being
imported illegally, the revised law allows
the imports to be stopped "at
the water's edge", and destroyed, to
prevent them from entering the
country. Until now, the burden of protecting
breeder's rights from infringement by imports
has fallen entirely on the
breeder. The Revised Customs Tariff
Law involves the government in the protection
of breeder's rights. As part of a drive to protect
intellectual property rights, it clearly
positions varieties of agricultural
products as intellectual property, alongside
music, novels, etc. The economies of agricultural
production areas in Japan are being threatened
by imports of strawberries,
green beans, etc., grown from seedlings taken
out of Japan without the
breeder's permission. Until now, the
cost of bringing legal action against importers
with a view t Under the revised law, a breeder whose
rights have been infringed can submit evidence
relating to the infringing
business to Customs, in the role of "plaintiff". If the breeder's claim is accepted,
procedures for the recognition of the infringement
are instituted, and the
imported agricultural products are stopped
at Customs. Customs listens to both the breeder's
and the importer's side of the story, before
deciding whether or not an
infringement has occurred. If an
infringement has occurred, either the importer
voluntarily destroys the goods,
or Customs will do so. The Ministry of Finance Customs and
Tariff Bureau commented on the relationship
between the protection of breeder's
rights and non-tariff trade barriers as follows: "The WTO (World Trade Organization)
agreement states both that intellectual property
rights should be properly
protected and that the protection should
not be so excessive as to become a
barrier to trade. We believe the
revised law is in accordance with this agreement." Germany and the United States have
adopted similar measures to stop agricultural
products at Customs. [Return]
On April 9, the Japanese government
decided, on humanitarian grounds, to give
10,000 tons of rice and 7,000 tons of
beans to Iraq, by way of emergency food aid. Both rice and beans will be donated
through the WFP (World Food Programme). The rice, to be supplied from government
reserves, will consist of 7,600 tons of Thai
rice imported under Japan's
minimum access commitment and 2,400 tons
of domestically grown rice. The beans will be procured by the
WFP. The food aid will cost a total
of $11.5 million (approximately YEN1.4 billion). The government's decision to give food
aid to Iraq follows the decision, taken on
the same day, to implement a
comprehensive package of humanitarian aid
with a maximum value of $100 million
(just under YEN12.0 billion). [Return]
The results of a survey of dietary
habits among children of elementary and junior
high school age, published by
the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries (MAFF) on April 3, show
that elementary school pupils do not enjoy
their food when they have been
scolded before the meal or when they are
eating alone, suggesting that children
are highly sensitive to the atmosphere at
the table. The survey, carried out in January and
February 2003 via the MAFF website, gathered
the opinions of some 160
elementary school and 69 junior high school
pupils. The survey found that more than 90% of
children of elementary and junior high school
age eat breakfast. More elementary school pupils (53%) than
junior high school pupils (39%) say their
whole family sits down to eat the
evening meal together. Among elementary and junior high school
pupils alike, the most commonly cited occasions
on which children say they
enjoyed their food are when the meal included
a favorite dish and on birthdays
and other special days. By
contrast, children of elementary school age
do not enjoy their food when they
have been scolded before the meal (cited
by 60%), when the meal includes an okazu ["side dish": i.e. dish other than the staple food]
that they do not like (59%) and when they
are eating alone (46%). Children of junior high school age do
not enjoy their food when the meal includes
a food (other than the staple food)
that they do not like (61%), when they have
been scolded before the meal (54%)
and when they are missing a favorite TV program
because it is time for the meal
(42%). MAFF commented, "It
appears that the younger the child, the stronger
the psychological associations
of meals." Occasions When Children Do Not Enjoy Their
Food
[Return]
The National Institute for
Agro-Environmental Sciences (NIAES) is to
launch a joint study with research
institutions in China and Korea of environmental
issues such as emissions of
greenhouse gases from paddy fields and pollution
due to excessive use of
fertilizers. It is planned that the
joint research team will also collaborate
with researchers in the ASEAN
countries, where farming conditions are similar,
in researching environmental
issues with a view to assuring the sustainability
and development of
agriculture in Asia. On March 25, a preparatory workshop was
held in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, under
the title "International
Workshop on Material Circulation Through
Agro-Ecosystems in East Asia and
Assessment of its Environmental Impact —
Toward International Cooperative
Research", with the aim of identifying
issues and establishing what
research has already been done in each participating
country. Besides the NIAES, the workshop was
attended by representatives of the Korean
National Institute of Agricultural
Science and Technology and the Chinese CAS
Institute of Soil Science. Dr. Katsuyuki
Minami, Director General of the NIAES, commented,
"Asia's population is
growing, making it a focus of attention worldwide,
but the region faces a great
number of environmental problems," and
explained that the aim of the joint
research is to "accumulate scientific
data to help ensure the
sustainability of agriculture".
The results of the research will be made
available to other countries,
including the ASEAN countries. At the workshop, the Korean and Chinese
delegates reported on the problem of ground
water pollution due to excessive
use of fertilizers. [Return]
The diversification
of eating habits and economic globalization
have brought considerable
changes in Japan's food imports over the
past 40 years. Japan is highly dependent on a few
countries (including the United States and
China) for its food imports, and in
recent years, fresh foods have accounted
for a growing proportion imports. According to the Ministry of Finance's Foreign
Trade Statistics, the value of Japan's food imports in FY 2001
reached
$4,381 million. The leading source
of imports was the United States (26.5%),
followed by China (14.1%), Australia
(7.0%), and Thailand (5.5%), these five between
them supplying approximately
60% of all Japan's imports. The principal imports from the United
States were meat, cereals and cereal-based
products. The principal imports from the China
were fish, vegetables and vegetable-based
products. On a volume basis, the most common
import was maize (16.22 million tons), followed
by wheat (5.52 million tons)
and soy beans (4.83 million tons).
For all three of these items, Japan is heavily
dependent on the United
States, which supplies more than 70% of all
Japan's imports of maize and soy
beans in particular, and half of all its
imports of wheat. On a value basis, the largest single
import item was pork, followed by beef, prawns,
and skipjack tuna or
stripe-bellied bonito. Between 1960 and 2000, imports of
agricultural products grew approximately
7 times on a volume basis and 12.5
times on a value basis. In 1960,
the largest import by value was wheat.
Later, as the Japanese diet became richer
and consumption of livestock
products and oils increased, imports of maize
for use as animal feed and soy
beans for the making of oil rose.
Since the 1990s, meat, vegetables and processed
products based on meat
and vegetables have registered spectacular
growth. In 2001, imports of fresh and
refrigerated vegetables reached a record
high for the fourth year in
succession, at 970,000 tons.
Imports of frozen vegetables also reached
a record high at 780,000 tons.
[Return]
China's share of the imported rice
market is falling, but that of the United
States has seen a remarkable
recovery. Growing safety
consciousness among Japanese consumers, trigged
by concern over residual
agricultural chemicals, has helped to boost
the US share. On February 26, the USA Rice
Federation, an association of producers and
millers, announced that it had
concluded sales agreements with 40 rice retailers
in the Tokyo area and other
major cities, securing a year-round sales
network in place of the spot sales in
a few supermarkets that have been the norm
until now. The Federation's Japan office expressed
confidence that American rice would find
popular acceptance in a face-to-face
sales context, where it is possible to explain
its quality and safety. Shares of the simultaneous
buy & sell (SBS) tenders on foreign rice,
which concern rice for
consumption as a staple food, changed substantially
during FY 2002. Chinese rice commanded a 66% share in FY
2001, but saw this fall to 48% in FY 2002.
American rice saw its share increase from
25% in FY 2001 to 40% in FY
2002.
Although China did not lose
first place in the imported rice market,
which it has held since FY 1998, the
difference in vigor is clear to see.
While imports of Chinese rice fell by 63%
in terms of tender volume,
imports of American rice fell by only 18%. The most significant impact
on market share was the series of scandals
involving residual agricultural
chemicals in spinach and other vegetables
that emerged last year. Residual agricultural chemicals were
detected in a wide range of vegetables produced
in China and restaurants also
began to shun Chinese rice. Thanks
to a marketing campaign emphasizing the safety
of American rice (e.g. the fact
that it undergoes three inspections) the
United States was able to minimize the
impact of the fall in the price of domestic
Japanese rice on imports. Owing to the current
surplus, the price of Japanese rice is falling,
and some brands are cheaper
than imported Chinese rice. Chinese
rice, which is normally very competitive
in price terms, faces hard times.
"Simplified
Eating": Now is the Time to
Reconsider Lifestyle Habits "Simplified eating" is
becoming ever more widespread.
Consumers show a growing tendency to use
fast foods or nakashoku [take-out meals, pre-cooked dishes and
delicatessen foods]. With more
women working outside the home and commuting
distances growing longer, it is
increasingly rare for the whole family to
come together for meals. In families where both parents work, the
number of children eating alone is rising.
Many young people do not eat proper meals
at regular times, and lead
wayward dietary lifestyles, eating whatever
they fancy, whenever they choose to
do so. Over the past few years,
assuring food safety has become a major problem
with a series of scandals
involving residual agricultural chemicals
and the falsification of food
labeling, but this has not affected the trend
for "simplified
eating". Now, when the safety
of food is in question, is surely the time
to reconsider lifestyle habits such
as imbalanced meals and "simplified
eating". Assuring a supply of safe food is not
the only important thing — if anything,
it is more urgent that the government
should encourage the people of Japan to consider
what constitutes a healthy
dietary lifestyle. Professor Hiromi Tokikoyama
of Japan Women's University says the trend
of simplification in food
consumption started to grow stronger around
1990. An analysis which divides current food
consumption patterns into "high-class
food orientation",
"diversification", "health
& safety orientation" and
"simplification" shows that the
age in which consumers sought
"high-class" foods is long past,
and that dietary lifestyles are now
in a mature period, in which the strongest
trend is towards simplification. The most conspicuous element of this
trend is the "externalization"
of meals as a result of more women
working outside the home and a fall in the
number of people in each
household. As the growing shortage
of labor due to population aging is expected
to lead to yet more women working
outside the home, the factors behind the
"externalization" of dietary
lifestyles are set to strengthen.
The number of nakashoku meals, based on
ready-to-eat dishes and delicatessen foods
and the number of restaurant meals
consumed are likely to rise. In
recent years, a rapid trend towards simplification
of diet has emerged even
among elderly people. Advances in information technology have
brought significant changes not only in the
consumption of food, but also in
consumption patterns at large. A
recent buzzword is "ubiquitous consumption",
which refers to the fact
that consumers are now able to buy things
at any time, from anywhere, over the
Internet. According to estimates
published last autumn by Dentsu Inc., a major
Japanese advertising agency, the ubiquitous
market is likely to be worth YEN
2.5 billion by 2006, around 5.3 times as
much in 2002. Given the present consumption slump,
this would constitute remarkable growth. Thus, it is becoming possible to obtain
information and make purchases without regard
for time or place. Dietary lifestyles show increasing signs
of a similar trend. Take rice, for
example. Pre-cooked rice in packs
to which the user need only add boiling water, and
which can even be eaten standing up, are
growing in popularity. One reason that convenience stores sell
so many o-nigiri [stuffed rice balls, often wrapped
in seaweed] is, no doubt, that they conform
to the trend in consumption. It is quite natural that people should
seek convenience and comfort, but when it
comes to food, excessive
simplification and "externalization"
may not be quite so
desirable. Pre-cooked foods should
also be consumed in moderation. Organizations related
to the Slow Food movement, which places great
importance on local foodstuffs
are coming into being even in Japan.
Many farming villages have preserved foods
and culinary traditions
unique to the region. Many
distributors have taken up the "5-A-Day"
campaign, which urges
that we eat at least five servings of fresh
fruit and vegetables a day as a
means of ensuring a healthy diet.
Now, at a time, when interest in food is
growing, is surely the time for
producers and distributors to come together
and strive to win the people of
Japan back to a healthy dietary lifestyle. |
Yoshiyuki Kamei
