948. Trends and Outlook of Food Self-Sufficiency Ratio ―Toward Revision of the Basic Law on Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas

The Basic Law on Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas, enacted in 1999, serves as the basic framework for Japan's agricultural policy. In 2024, a proposed amendment to this law is scheduled for deliberation during the ordinary session of the Diet. The primary focus of the amendment is to enhance food security, transition to environmentally sustainable industries, promote highly productive agricultural management, and ensure the preservation of rural areas, agricultural populations, and communities.
 
The legislative framework is underpinned by the Basic Plan for Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas, which is subject to periodic review every five years. The current target, set for 2030, is a self-sufficiency rate of 45% on a calorie basis and 75% on a production value basis. However, as of FY2022, Japan's food self-sufficiency stands at 38%  on a calorie basis and 58% on a production value basis, indicating a shortfall in achieving the set targets.
 
In particular, global comparisons highlight the varying degrees of food self-sufficiency among nations. Countries such as Canada and Australia have already surpassed 100%, while others, such as the United Kingdom (61% on a production value basis in 2021) and South Korea (44% on a production value basis in 2021), fall short of complete self-sufficiency.
 
To address these critical issues, a symposium entitled "Trends and Outlook of Food Self-Sufficiency Ratio: Toward Revision of the Basic Law on Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas" is scheduled for Saturday, February 3. This event, organized under the auspices of the Committee on Agricultural Science and the Committee on Food Science of the Science Council of Japan (SCJ), invites your participation. We anticipate a valuable exchange of insights and perspectives and encourage you to join us in shaping the discourse on Japan's agricultural and rural policies.
 

Trends and Outlook of Food Self-Sufficiency Ratio―Toward Revision of the Basic Law on Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas

Date & Time：Saturday, February 3, 2024 13:00～17:00
Venue：Ichijo Hall, Yayoi Auditorium, The University of Tokyo, Hybrid event
For registration and inquiries, please see the following
https://www.agc.a.u-tokyo.ac.jp/wp/fg1_240203/

References
農林水産省　知ってる？日本の食料事情　https://www.maff.go.jp/j/zyukyu/index.html　(Accessed on Jan 30, 2024)
MAFF　The Basic Law on Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas　https://www.maff.go.jp/j/kanbo/kihyo02/basic_law/pdf/basic_law_agri.pdf (Accessed on Jan 30, 2024)
GOV.UK　National Statistics Chapter 14: the food chain https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/agriculture-in-the-united-king… (Accessed on Jan 30, 2024)
Sustainable Japan 【韓国】政府、2027年までに食料自給率を55.5%へ。食料安全保障強化計画策定 https://sustainablejapan.jp/2022/12/23/korea-food-security/80397 (Accessed on Jan 30, 2024)

Contributor: SHIRATORI Sakiko (Information and Public Relations Office)