Japan’s Actions on Sustainable Agriculture & Water Management for Food Security

September, 2013

Yutaka Sumita (Deputy-Director General for International Affairs,MAFF,JAPAN)

Contents

1. Features of Natural Condition in Japan 2

2. Land and water development in Japan 3-5

3. Challenges Japan’s agriculture face 6-8

4. Japan’s basic policy for food, agriculture and rural area 9

5. Present main policies to address challenges 10

6. Water management in Japan 11-13

7. Strengthening of Multi-functionality of Agriculture 14,15

8. Improvement of land productivity 16

9. Conclusion 17

1

1. Features of Natural Condition in Japan

2

○ Located in East Asian monsoon zone, having plenty of rainfall (1800mm annually but fluctuating).

○ Mountainous topography with forest (66%) and limited cultivated land (12%).

○Frequent natural disasters such as floods, droughts, typhoons, earthquakes, tsunami and more.

Land-use in Japan (ha)

Forest 251 mil(66%)

Farmland 4.6 mil(12%)

others 8.2 mil(22%)

Tokyo Niigata Rainfall(mm) temp(℃)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

40

30

20

10

0

-10

-20

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

temp(℃) Rainfall(mm)

maximum temperature

average temperature

minimum temperature

40

30

20

10

0

-10

-20

600

500

400

300

200

100

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

2. Land and water development in Japan 2-1. Changes of cultivate lands and population increase

○ A paddy agriculture has developed in Japan adaptable to its natural condition for 2000 years. ○ Land and water development have been essential through the history of Japan’s development. ○ Population has been increasing proportionally to the expansion of paddy lands. ○ Especially, after the World War II, large scale irrigation and drainage projects enabled to increase agricultural

production which support the population increase as well as economic development in Japan.

・utilized small rivers ・utilized tablelands

・utilized middle/large rivers ・utilized alluvial plains (development of modern civil engineering)

3

4.67 million ha in 2006

(peak was 6.07 million ha in 1960)

2-2. Irrigation and Drainage Projects in Niigata (Before Projects)

4

○ Niigata plain (alluvial) used to be swampy low lands suffering from frequent floods. ○ Both crop productivity and labor productivity were extremely low. People were suffering from poverty.

Niigata plain of the beginning of Edo era(150years ago)

Planting works in the mud or melted snow water

2-3. Irrigation and Drainage Projects in Niigata (After Projects)

5

○ A series of various drainage projects including pumping stations, drainage canals have converted swampy low lands to high productive paddy fields.

○ Niigata is now known as Japan’s most famous rice producing region as well as the center of various food industries.

Current Niigata plain

Drainage

facilities

constructed

A g e D i s t r i b u t i o n o f F a r m e r s

Source：MAFF ”The Census of Agriculture and Forestry”

1990

2010

2000

Rapid decrease and aging of workforce in agriculture

65.8歳

N u m b e r o f F a r m e r s & A v e r a g e a g e o f F a r m e r s

Nu

mb

er

of

Farm

ers

58

66 Age65.8

Age 59.1

4.1M

2.6M

60

62

64

Average A

ge of Farm

ers

1990 1995 2000 2005

(10

,00

0 p

erso

n)

(10,000 person)

3. Challenges Japan’s agriculture face 3-1. Decrease and aging of farmers

○ Continuing flow of population from rural to urban ○ Agriculture population decreased by 1.5 million in 15 years. ○ Average age of farmers reached as high as 65.8 in 15 years.

6

Source：MAFF “Statistics on Cultivated Land and Planted Area” , “The Census of Agriculture and Forestry”

400,000ha

100,000 ha

Farm

lan

d

No

n-cu

ltivated Lan

d

- 1.5 million ha

6Mｈａ

4.6Mｈａ

40

30

20

10

(10,000 ha)

1960 2010 1970 1980 1990 1995 2000 2005

1.5M ha of farmland has lost over these 50 years

(10

,00

0 h

a)

3-2. Decrease of farmlands

○ Farmlands, peaked at 6 million hectares in 1960, have been decreasing by 1.5 million hectares in 50 years.

○ Abandoned farmlands have been increasing by 0.3 million hectares in 30 years.

7

3-3. Low food self sufficiency

○ Japan’s dietary habit has dramatically changed and diversified in accordance with the development of economy. ○ Decrease of rice consumption, increase of livestock products and oils ○ Food self sufficiency rate on calorie basis came down from 73 % in 1965 to 39 % in 2010.

自給

輸入に依存

FY1965 FY2010

Fruits 86%

Per capita calorie supply per day: 2,459kcal

Food self-sufficiency ratio: 73%

2,458kcal

balance

Rice 98%

Wheat 8%

Oils and fats 3%

51%

Fruits 34%

Soybeans 25%

Vegetables 80%

Others 22%

Sugar 26%

Livestock

products 16%

(P)13.0 :(F)28.4 :(C)58.6

Fisheries products 60%

Others 68%

Fisheries products 110%

47%

Rice100%

45% Livestock products

Soybeans 41%

Vegetables

100%

Sugar 31%

Wheat 28%

Oils 33%

Self- sufficient portion

Feed- import- using production portion

Import portion

PFC (Protein, Fat, Carbohydrate)

(P)12.2 :(F)16.2 :(C)71.6

Per capita calorie supply per day:

Food self-sufficiency ratio: 39%

8

4. Japan’s basic policy for food, agriculture and rural area

○ People have an anxiety over food security because of low rate of food self sufficiency and the decline of agriculture as well as rural area.

○ Government enacted basic law for food, agriculture and rural in 2000. ○ Increase of domestic production, stable import and appropriate stockpile for stable food supply. ○ Land, water and core farmers are essential for sustainable agricultural development

Stable food supply

･ Stable supply of quality food with rational price. ･ Increasing domestic agricultural production with

appropriate combination of import and stockpiling ･ Food security in emergency

Multi-functionality of agriculture

･ Conservation of land, water resources, and natural environment. ･ Creating beautiful landscapes ･ Conservation of traditional culture

Sustainable development of agriculture

･ Securing agricultural land, water and motivated farmers. ･ Establishing the robust agricultural structure ･ Improving natural circulation of agriculture

Promotion of rural areas

･ Consolidation of production conditions for agriculture ･ Improving welfare, and living condition of rural area

9

5. Present main policies to address challenges

① More efficient use and preservation of land and water as the essential resources for agriculture

③ Strengthening farm management by scale expansion and growing core farmers

④ Increase farmers income as well as revitalize rural area through establishing food value chain.

② Strengthening multi-functionality of agriculture

⑤ Promote economic partnership agreement (EPA / FTAs) for stable food trades while considering sensitivities of participant countries.

10

Field

Headwork (national)

Main Canal (national)

Irrigation Dam (national)

Sub-canal (local)

Drainage Canal (local)

On-farm Irri. Network

(local)

Drainage Pump (national)

6. Water management in Japan 6-1. Irrigation and drainage systems

11

○ Japan’s irrigation and drainage systems have been constructed comprehensively from main facilities (dams, head works, main canals) to on farm level facilities (tertiary canals) for efficient water use. (Total canal length is estimated as long as 400 thousands kilometers)

○ Maintenance and renovation of the whole system becomes the big issue, especially for resilient agriculture addressing to disaster caused by climate change.

Field

Field

Field

Field

Field

Field

national: constructed by National Government

local : constructed by Local Governments or Land Improvement Districts

6-2. Organization for water management

○ Historically, on farm level facilities such as irrigation ponds, small canals have been managed by water using farmers of each community. ○Based on this custom, “Land Improvement Districts” have been formulated for each irrigation system as a water management organization by farmers based on Land Improvement Law in 1949. ○Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) is considered effective for international standard of water management.

O&M by Farmers

O&M by LID

Riv

er

Main Irrigation Canal

Reservoir

Head Work

Paddy field

Dam

Main Drainage Canal

Secondary Canal

Secondary Canal

Tertiary Canal

Community

Dues Farmers

(Members

of LID)

Farmers’ Tasks

Local residents (=Farmers)

※Sharing of roles: Main facilities: Land Improvement District (LID) [Support from National/Prefectural governments] On-farm facilities: Water users’ association, community basis

collaboration

Main facilities

On-farm facilities

12

6-3. New policy for land and water management

○ Decrease and aging of farmers while increasing non farmers in communities make it difficult to maintain land and water management by the cooperative work of communities.

○ Government starts supporting to formulate a new organization (cooperative group) including farmers and stakeholders in communities. ○Activities of a new cooperative group should be made based on a consensus of members of each cooperative group. ○ Activities are land and water conservation as well as environmental conservation.

Urban-Rural Interchange

○ Actions on the policy for conservation of farmland and water

Creation of activities organization / Consensus formation

Formulation of activity plan Discussion with persons concerned

activity

Conservation of farmland and canals

Maintaining joints of canals

Filling gravel on farm roads

Conservation of farmland

Shrubbery for formation of scenery

Analysis of water quality

Proper management of green belts

Target: basic activities to conserve rural resources such as farmland, canals and farm roads.

Conservation of rural environment

Target: activities to conserve rural environment such as bio-diversity and formation of scenery.

13

Schools

NPOs

Rural Residents Residents’

Association

LID, JA

Urban Residents

Fire Brigade

Farmers

（２）交付金の構成、対象活動 7. Strengthening of Multi-functionality of Agriculture 7-1. Diverse rolls of Agriculture

○ Diverse effects of Agriculture (multi-functionality) covers conservation of national lands, fostering water resources, keeping traditional lands, increase biodiversity and more.

○ Support for small farming in mountainous area is an important policy in this context

○ Multi-functionality

preserving floods by reserving rainfalls temporary

preserving landslides fostering groundwater

conserving biodiversity conserving rural landscape handing traditional culture down

14

［agricultural method for fostering living things］

○ In 2002, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) established “Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)” in order to approve cites which should be inherited to future generations and possess important agricultural methods, landscapes, culture, history or biodiversity. ○ As of August 2013, 25 cites have been approved from 11 countries (Japan, China, India, Philippines, Peru, Chili, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Tanzania and Kenya). ○ From Japan, Sado and Noto areas were approved in June 2011 as the first. In May 2013, 3 more cites were designated.

老朽化した水路のコーティング等によ

る補修

（２）交付金の構成、対象活動 7-2. Promoting Global Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)

○ Sado area ～Japanese crested ibises and regeneration of rural biodiversity～ Develop “agricultural method for fostering living things” to conserve rich ecosystem and landscape centering on conserving ibises.

submerged paddy field ibises utilize as a feeding ground

a biotope in paddy field

［traditional agricultural method］

agricultural rites “Kuruma Taue” praying for a good harvest

［branding rice with a logo of an ibis］

standard for approval ・conduct agricultural method for fostering living things ・approved as an eco-farmer ・less use of agrochemicals and chemical fertilizer ・conduct surveys of inhabitants

15

（２）交付金の構成、対象活動 8. Improvement of land productivity

○ Land consolidation projects have been implemented in accordance with irrigation projects. ○ The effects of land consolidation are ① increase of labor productivity by introducing agricultural

machineries, ② increase of variety of crops, ③ strengthening of farming management by cooperative work, accumulating farm lands to core farmers.

31.4

23.5

12.5

0

10

20

30

事業前 事業後

（主に30a区画）

事業後

（主に1ha区画）

③ Strengthening of farming management by cooperative work,

accumulating farm lands to core farmers

農家数 戸当たり規模

３６３戸 ０．６ｈａ／戸

：自家消費希望者

凡 例

Ａ経営体 55ha

Ｂ経営体 83ha

Ｃ経営体 43ha

自家消費農家 51ha

農家数 戸当たり規模

３６３戸 ０．６ｈａ／戸

：集落営農参加合意者

：自家消費希望者

before plan

Increase of variety of crops

Misato, Akita

Tamura, Fukushima

Oono, Hokkaido

Yamato, Miyagi

Kakuta, Miyagi

4.0

14.2

9.8

0.9

0

5

10

15

20

25

事業前

（H10）

事業後

（H19）

ﾒﾛﾝ・ｱｽﾊﾟﾗ・ﾄﾏﾄ 大豆 水稲

Ishinomaki, Miyagi

before implementation

after Implementation 30are paddy lot

after Implementation 1ha paddy lot

farmhouses Average scale of farming

house

Farmers to participate group farming

Farmers to self consume

farming organ

farming organ

farming organ

self consumption

Before project 1998

After project 2007

More and more crops are

cultivated (an example at

farming organization)

16

（hr/10a） ① Increase of labor productivity

Labor productivity will

highly increase by

installing agricultural

machineries

② Increase of variety of crops

Melon, Asparagus, Tomato

Soy bean

Paddy

(ha)

a direct sales depot

operated by farmers

various crops flower rice soy bean

* These figures are based on the result of 48 areas where land consolidation projects were implemented in 2009.

9. Conclusion

○ Land and water development, especially irrigation and drainage system as well as effective water management have established the basic infrastructure for stable food supply followed by rapid economic development in Japan.

○ The whole systems should be maintained and renovated for the future aiming for sustainable agriculture for food security of national people.

○ Japan is willing to share our experience and knowledge with ASEAN and cooperate under the various schemes of AMAF+3, JICA as well as INWEPF (International Network for Water and Ecosystem in Paddy Field)

○ In addition, Japan puts importance on strengthening the food value chain covering production increase, storage, processing, circulation and market and would like to extend cooperation in this context.

Made IN Japan

Made BY Japan

Made FROM Japan

consuming area (downstream)

日本食レストラン等

コンビニ

consistent value chain

<processing>

chilled transportation

food processing facility

<distribution>

processing･distribution species improvement basis for production producing materials

technics for production

producing area (upstream)

Reduction of food waste

facilities for collection, shipment and storage technics for storage

（ＦＢＩの連携）

17

Liveliness at a vegetables

and fruits market

18

18