Category Archives: Food & Agriculture

Producers’ guidance for participants in hands-on experiences of farming, fishing and picking-up foods from the forest is most effective for them to deepen their understandings and interests in food and agriculture, a survey conducted by the Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) has learned “A survey on diet and hands-on experience farming and fishing” was implemented by MAFF during a period of October and November 2016 by polling 4000 consumers aged from 20 to 60 years who have took part in those hands-on experiences. Among the polled consumers experiencing the hands-on farming with farmer’s guidance, 28.8 percent responded to a question regarding their shopping, saying “I am now … Continue reading →

While the new administration under U.S. President Donald Trump is casting a shadow over U.S.-Mexico relations, the U.S. dairy industry leaders are eager to emphasize their intention to keep in good terms with their counterparts of the U.S.’ top export market. Tom Vilsack, president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council who served as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for eight years until January, visited Mexico earlier this week, heading a delegation of U.S. dairy industry officials. In addressing the National Dairy Forum, an annual gathering of Mexican dairy farmers organized by the Mexican Federation of Milk Producers (Femeleche) held in Mexico City on March 15, Vilsack stressed the … Continue reading →

A blog written by Japanese young people living abroad is attracting attention by offering information on food and agriculture of the nations they live in. The blog titled “Agriters” is written in Japanese by five people living in the United States, Britain, the Netherlands and Nepal. “We hope the blog can offer clues for revitalizing Japan’s agriculture and rural villages,” said Mikihisa Shiratori, 32, who started the blog. Shiratori, who is taking postgraduate courses at the Department of Land Economy in University of Cambridge in Britain, invited other writers through social media. A writer who goes by a pseudonym GAK and conducts a research on agriculture and politics in the … Continue reading →

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) of the Ministry of Commerce of Thai Government agreed on March 22 to promote cooperation for mutual protection of Geographical Indication (GI) for farm products of the two countries. The agreement made by the two governments aims at excluding copies and imitation products, damaging interests of brand-name products, from agricultural markets in Japan and Thailand for protecting GI. It is the first time for MAFF to be cooperative with a foreign government in order to mutually protect GI for agricultural products. Last December, Japanese Act on Protection of the Names of Specific Agricultural, Forestry and … Continue reading →

Kawasaki Kiko Co., Ltd., based at Kakegawa city, Shizuoka prefecture, begins to sell a new product of a black tea ingredients quick analyzer names “GTN-B” early April. Green tea ingredients quick analyzers manufactured by Kawasaki Kiko and other companies are available in the market. A representative of the Kawasaki Kiko company told the press that the black tea ingredients instantaneous analyzers have not been available in the market, saying “We are very proud of developing the analyzer for the first time in the world.” Shizuoka Prefectural Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute and Shizuoka Seiki, Co., Ltd. also jointed the successful development of this new black tea ingredients analyzer. Kawasaki Kiko’s … Continue reading →