- Japan’s new ag minister says consumer understanding a central pillar of food security strategy.
- Public awareness of agriculture and food production a weakness in government policy.
- Plans to strengthen food education to encourage consumers to support domestic agriculture.
Minister Kazuo Yanagi, Japan’s newly appointed minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, positioned food security as the central objective of his ministry during his first press conference on 18 September.
Yanagi believes that ensuring food security will require stronger efforts to help consumers understand the realities facing agricultural, forestry and fisheries producers, particularly as rising costs, climate change and demographic pressures threaten the sector.
“As I take on the role of minister, I would like to set forth one major theme. That is ensuring food security, and in order to advance this, we must firmly cultivate consumer understanding… Ultimately,consumer understanding is indispensable to achieve food security,” said Yanagi.
Shaping public attitudes
Alongside more traditional policy priorities such as boosting productivity, supporting farm incomes and increasing exports, Yanagi aims to emphasise initiatives that shape public attitudes towards food production and agriculture.
“This is precisely the mission of agricultural, forestry and fisheries policies, which protect food and agriculture, and I will take the lead in strengthening efforts to cultivate consumer understanding, which I believe has been a weak point for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries until now.”
The minister said one of the key challenges for agricultural policy was achieving prices that allow producers to continue operating while remaining acceptable to consumers.
He stressed that fair and sustainable prices cannot be achieved unless consumers appreciate production realities.
“I believe that young people will be able to look firmly to the future and enter the agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries with the desire to work in them, and it will also lead to creating an environment in which consumers can stably consume food and other such products.”
A major revision
As part of these efforts, Yanagi highlighted the revision of the Basic Law on Food Education, which he said aimed to strengthen agricultural, forestry and fisheries education in schools while expanding food education beyond the classroom.
“I intend to strengthen food education within agricultural, forestry and fisheries policies in order to cultivate a national character in which people take responsibility for protecting their country’s agriculture, forestry and fisheries through their own consumption behaviour throughout their lives.”
The ultimate objective is to encourage consumers to support domestic production through their purchasing decisions.
According to Yanagi, this would be the first revision of the law in two decades. He noted that he intends to promote education among young people as well as adults.
“I have taken it upon myself to firmly cultivate consumer understanding, especially in schools, to promote an understanding of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, including hands-on experience, within the curriculum, and also to promote food education for adults after they have graduated from school.”
The ministry will strengthen cooperation with other government agencies, particularly the education ministry, and develop improved educational materials.
