Tag Archives: Editorial

【Editorial】 Increase in feed grain production necessary to boost food self-sufficiency (Aug. 7, 2014)

  Food self-sufficiency rate in Japan remained at 39 percent measured by calorific intake in fiscal 2013 for the fourth consecutive year. The rate – the lowest among major industrialized nations – is far from the government’s target of reaching the 50 percent mark by fiscal 2020. This is totally absurd. Considering the predicted worldwide food shortage, we have no time to spare to reinforce agricultural production through strategic use of rice paddies. Calorie-based food self-sufficiency rates of major industrialized nations in 2011 were 258 percent in Canada, 129 percent in France and 127 percent in the United States. Even for nations with sufficiency rates below 100 percent, the figures … Continue reading

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【Editorial】 Disputes remain in finalizing TPP, but caution needed in future negotiations (July 15, 2014)

  Chief negotiators of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade talks closed their meeting in Ottawa, Canada, on Saturday, July 12, without reaching agreement on controversial sectors such as tariffs and intellectual properties. The ministerial meeting, which the 12 participating countries had initially aimed to hold during this summer, was put off. Meanwhile, Japan and the United States are continuing negotiations on a bilateral basis, with Koya Nishikawa, head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s TPP committee, who is visiting Washington, scheduled to meet U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman on Tuesday, July 15. In the negotiations, the Japanese government must not make compromises regarding tariffs on key agricultural products, in line with … Continue reading

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【Editorial】 Don’t let Japan become a nation which can fight a war (July 2, 2014)

  Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made a political decision which betrays the Japanese people. His Cabinet formally reinterpreted the Constitution on Tuesday, July 1, reading it as permitting at least partial use of the right of collective self-defense. This allows Japan to aid allies such as the United States if they come under military attack, even when Japan itself was not under direct attack. The authorization runs counter to the war-renouncing principle of the Article 9 and marks a landmark shift in the postwar security policy. The Abe administration forced the decision through, ignoring the public and without sufficient Diet discussions. Abe should seek a public mandate on whether … Continue reading

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【Editorial】 Buckwheat soba – starting down the road to value-added agriculture (June 28, 2014)

  Soba (Japanese for buckwheat) is recently attracting attention as a key product to promote use of farmlands and increase the nation’s food self-sufficiency rate, and at the same time offer opportunities for farmers to expand their businesses to processing and marketing. Many soba producing regions managed to increase production by introducing varieties which are harvested in summer instead of in autumn or those with higher content of certain nutrients. Soba is definitely a product with huge potential, if producers can stabilize yield by taking measures to cope with its vulnerability to wet damage. Production of soba expanded largely after the introduction of individual-household income compensation system in fiscal 2011, … Continue reading

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【Editorial】 Biodiversity or imported rice? (June 1, 2014)

  “We haven’t seen red dragonflies recently.” We hear such claims in various regions nationwide. Researchers who conducted dragonfly habitat surveys also say the number of dragonflies born in rice fields is declining drastically. They attribute the decrease to the changes in farming and watering methods, as well as pesticide applications to parts of rice fields, but details are unknown. It is necessary to find a way to maintain biodiversity while avoiding putting excessive burden on the agricultural industry. Dragonflies flying about in a cluster in the twilight are a common sight in the countryside. However, many research papers site drops in the number of dragonflies, and many farmers must … Continue reading

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