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.
