Spring 1986 RAIN Page 15 Diet Politics: Farming in Japan by Steve Johnson Over the past 25 years, the Japanese food production system has undergone a complete transformation. The results of this transformation are viewed with skepticism by many. No other single issue has brought out such widespread grassroots activity. The issue of healthful food endangered by the increasing use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, has attracted people across both age and class boundaries. There is a sizable producer-consumer cooperative movement with the establishment of countless varieties on the food buying club, including both large wholesale and retail businesses. In 1960 Japan was 83 percent self-sufficient agriculturally, and while most industrialized nations, including England, another major island nation, have remained fairly self-sufficent, Japan's rate dropped to 30 percent in 1981. The Basic Agriculture Law was passed in Japan in 1961. Its stated goal was to make Japanese agriculture competitive in the international marketplace through modernization. For the purpose of modernization, the law promoted expansion of farm tracts, introduction of farming machinery, and reduction of labor and production costs through the use of pesticides. The new law also encouraged the production of profitable items such as fruits and livestock, and decreased production of such things as rice, wheat, and barley. At about the same time, the Japanese government initiated its policy of high economic growth. In order to do this a large proportion of the agricultural labor force was shifted to commercial and industrial sectors. Also, large amounts of agricultural lands were developed for roads and factories, or eaten up by urbanization. And finally, to keep a trade balance, Japan began to import more food. For example, in order to support the increased meat eating habit of the Japanese it has become necessary to import grains to feed livestock. Between 1960 and 1983, the number of farm households dropped by 30 percent, while those engaged in agricultural work dropped from over 14 million in 1960 to less then 6.5 million in 1983. The percent of farming families able to fully support themselves dropped from 34.3 percent in 1960 to 13.2 percent in 1983. More of the farming labor force is made up of workers who need to earn money away from home. Not long after, the farmers began leaving the home and the village to work, so only the elderly were left behind to do the farming. Today, Japanese agriculture is supported by women, old people, and so called “Sunday farmers,” who work at non-agricultural jobs for the other days of the week. Today, “Sunday farmers” are in an overwhelming majority— 71 percent of the Japanese farmers. The situation is likely to continue to change. The young generation from farm families sees very little hope for the future in farming. In 1982 there were over 600,000 children of farm families, and out of those only 6500 went into farming. In the 1970s, the Japanese government developed its “Comprehensive Agricultural Policy.” The ostensible aim was to bring the entire Japanese economy, including agriculture, into the international marketplace. Some people see this as a way to increase Japan's ability to export its industrial products by increasing importation of agricultural products. The result, they say, will be a further degradation of agriculture. Many organizations have formed in Japan to address Japan's agricultural situation. Many of the individuals involved in the movement are first attracted by personal motives. They are concerned about the healthfulness of foods produced using modem insecticide and chemical based methods. But in many cases the individual's personal motives are transformed along the way into recognizing other related problems. It is sometimes a difficult intellectual step to take but many leaders are attempting to show people how their personal life style has an impact on other problems—such as hunger and use of scarce resources in other countries. O O From Japan Recycling News The Other Japan
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