In the first drastic overhaul of Japan’s so-called agricultural policy constitution since its enactment in 1999, parliament on Wednesday passed into law an amendment to the Basic Law on Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas.
The revised law once again underlines the need to ensure food security at a time when supply chains are being destabilized by factors such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, demanding that quality food be stably supplied at reasonable prices to every citizen.
“I will make every effort to create a system in which food can be made available to every citizen in the country,” Agriculture Minister Tetsushi Sakamoto told reporters.
The amended law also emphasizes encouraging exports of agricultural products and other food products as a means to help the country maintain supply capacity, in light of an expected decline in food demand due to a shrinking population .
The stable import and storage of food is also a priority.
For the sustainable development of the domestic agricultural industry, the law calls for improving productivity and adding more value to products by promoting smart agriculture using advanced technologies.
It also calls for redoubled efforts to reduce environmental burdens in production, processing, distribution and sales, and to revitalize farming villages to prevent regional communities from disappearing.
