JAPAN
Location
Situated off the eastern edge of the Asian continent, the
Japanese archipelago is bounded on the North by the Sea of Okhotsk,
on the East and South by the Pacific Ocean, on the South West by
the East China Sea, and on the West by the Sea of Japan. The total
area of Japan is 377,835 km2. The five districts are Honshu,
Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku, and Okinawa. Each of the five districts
consists of a main island of the same name and hundreds of
surrounding islands. Japan is located at the northeastern edge of
the Asian monsoon climate belt, which brings much rain to the
country.
Agricultural Sector
The economic importance of agriculture in Japan has rapidly
declined since 1950, with the sector constituting 1.7% of national
GDP and employing 4.6% of the total labour force. A striking
feature of Japanese agriculture is the shortage of farmland.
Approximately 11.64% of the total land area in 2005 is cultivated
(CIA, 2007). Japan is thus a major importer of food. According to
FAOSTAT (2005-06), Japan is the largest importer of pork, maize and
canned chicken, the second largest importer of beef, soybeans and
wheat, and a major importer fruit and vegetables. Rice is the
principal domestically produced crop. Non-rice farmland is planted
with wheat and barley in the autumn and with sweet potatoes,
vegetables, and dry rice in the summer. Intercropping is common:
such crops are alternated with beans and peas. Although production
is kept at high level thanks to use of technically advanced
fertilizers and farm machinery, the agricultural sector in Japan
suffers from many constraints such as the rapidly diminishing
availability of arable land (FAO, 2004).
Brief overview of organic farming
According to IFOAM & FiBL (2006), the area under organic
management in Japan is 29,150 hectares, which constitutes 0.56% of
the total agricultural land. There are currently 4.539 organic
farms registered in Japan. The same constraints affecting
conventional agriculture also have an impact in the production of
organic crops. Furthermore, the Japanese hot and wet climate
conditions, make it even more difficult to cultivate crops without
chemical fertilizers. Production trends for organic food and
vegetables appear to be moving towards value added product lines,
such as pre-packaged salad mixes. It is expected that although
conventional agriculture is still in decline, organically certified
products will increase both in area of production and in the range
of products (FAO/ITC/CTA, 2001). After some years of confusion
between green food (low use of chemical pesticides) and organic
food, the Japanese government implemented in 2001 a new law (JAS
Standards for Organic Agricultural Products and Organic
Agricultural Processed Foods) with a clear definition of organic
food and stringent rules for certification and imports.
Brief overview of key organic products
Certified organic produce from Japan includes: rice, green
vegetables, green tea, sweet potato, taro, pumpkin, potatoes,
citrus and other fruits. Potentially, Japan can be an enormous
organic food market. Currently, consumer demand exceeds domestic
supply and most organic products are imported. The demand for
organic food is growing rapidly in Japan and it is expected that
this will continue in the future.
The network
The development of organic agriculture in Japan is mainly promoted
by the farmers NGOs, and by the private sectors. There is no
specific government support for organic agriculture. However, there
are two national organizations that promote the development of
organic agriculture: the Japan Organic Agriculture Association and
the Japan Organic & Natural Foods Associations.
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan
http://www.maff.go.jp/eindex.html
Japan Organic & Natural Foods Association (JONA)
Takegashi bldg. 3F 3-5-3, Kyobashi,
Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0031 - Japan
http://jona-japan.org/english.html
References
- CIA FactBook, 31.05.07
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ja.html
- FAO (2004): Key Statistics of Food and Agriculture
External Trade. Food and Agricultural Organization of the United
Nations (FAO), Statistics Division.
http://www.fao.org/es/ess/toptrade/trade.asp?dir=exp&country=3&ryear=2004
and http://www.fao.org/es/ess/top/country.html?lang=en
- FAO/ITC/CTA (2001): World Markets for Organic Fruit and
Vegetables. Opportunities for Developing Countries in the
Production and Export of Organic Horticultural Products.
- FAO Statistical Year Book, (2005-06)
http://www.fao.org/statistics/yearbook/vol_1_2/pdf/Japan.pdf
- IFOAM & FiBL (2006): The World of Organic Agriculture.
Statistics and Emerging Trends 2006. International Federation of
Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), Bonn & Research
Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL.