Revision of Basic Act on Agriculture

Revised Basic Act on Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas passed the Diet with approval of leading Liberal Democratic Party and others. The law will mandate the government to secure food even in an instable international situation. To implement the food security written in the law, the government needs to deal with some issues, including securing human resource for agriculture or enhancing self-sufficiency of foods. 

The basic law for agriculture was renewed in 1999. Before the renewal, the fundamental needs of agriculture had been to narrow the gap between the farmers in rural area and the business people in urban cities. New law in 1999 was focused more on consumers than farmers, and promoted stable food supply. “Given the fact that food is essential for maintaining human survival and important for humans as a basis for a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle, a stable supply on high-quality food must be maintained in the future at a reasonable price,” says the law.

 

In the revision this year, the focus shifted from food supply to food security. Having experienced the price hike of wheat and corn caused by Russian aggression to Ukraine in 2022, Kishida ordered his staffs to revise the law. Current international conflicts revealed Japan’s vulnerability on securing foods.

 

The revised law defines food security as “a situation in which high-quality foods are stably supplied with rational price and everyone can obtain them.” Although main measures are how to enlarge domestic production, the law intends to diversification of the country to export foods to Japan and increasing food stock.

 

The revised law also promotes export from Japan to raise profit of the people involved in agriculture or food industries. It encourages proper pricing of foods with consideration of cost, quality of foods and the balance between demand and supply. Securing necessary land for agriculture, stabilizing management of agricultural corporations and introducing advanced technology are raised as the measures for sustainable development of agriculture.

 

The people involved in agriculture have already been halved from 2.4 million in 2000. Although each farmer employs foreign workers to make up for the shortage of labor, the productivity cannot be raised much. It is necessary for the government to take measures for keeping regional labor force by maintaining local communities.

 

The basic plan of agriculture set the goal for food self-sufficiency at 45 percent. However, current situation of the rate is as low as 38 percent, which is the lowest in developed countries of the Group of Seven. Including procurement of fertilizer, the government is required to set viable plan to raise self-sufficiency.