Category Archives: Farm Policy

TOKYO, Dec. 19 — Japan is considering a stricter labeling policy for non-genetically modified organisms (GMO) to allow consumers to make the right choice. A panel of experts that included food makers and consumer protection groups held a seventh round of talks on Dec. 18 for the Consumer Affairs Agency to review GMO policy. Under the 2001 GMO labeling law, Japan requires mandatory labels for eight crops containing GMO, such as soybeans and corn, and soy- and corn-based products. Such products include tofu, natto, soymilk, miso, corn starch and popcorn. But at the same time, Japan allows a five percent tolerance for GMO content in food. In other words, if … Continue reading →

[By Yasushi Tange, visiting researcher at Norinchukin Research Institute] Japan’s food self-sufficiency rate marked 38 percent on a calorie basis in fiscal 2016, down 1 percentage point from a year before, posting a year-on-year drop for the first time in six years. The figure was the second-lowest level ever after 37 percent recorded in fiscal 1993, when the country suffered a serious rice shortage following bad weather. The self-sufficiency rate, which was 73 percent in fiscal 1965, has been on a declining trend since then. Some criticize that an obsession with food sufficiency figures may be off the mark, citing such reasons as the fact that fruit and vegetables, although … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Dec. 13 — New songs by late Haruo Minami, Japanese iconic enka singer, has been released. The songs feature Japanese rice flour, a staple food that doesn’t have gluten. As the incidence of gluten sensitivity and irritable bowel syndrome increases, the global demand for rice flour as a gluten-free alternative to wheat products, such as bread and snack foods, is expected to rise. So, the Japan Rice Flour Association took a bold step: make a song to tell how rice flour is healthy and good for you. Seven songs are included in a CD album released on Dec. 13 by Teichiku Entertainment. The Japanese company collaborated with the agriculture … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Dec. 18 — The agriculture ministry has set up a working group to discuss how to make farming an appealing career choice for the young generation amid the sector’s widespread labor shortage in Japan. The move coincides with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe launching “work-style” reforms as part of his high-profile administration’s agenda. The job offers to applicant ratio in the agricultural sector was 1.63 in 2016. That was higher than the average of all industrial sectors at 1.39, pointing to a labor shortage in the agricultural sector. As Japan’s population of older people is growing at an unprecedented rate, the farming industry is facing a severe shortage of young … Continue reading →