Will Japan go hungry?

Today, at least 720 million people, which means one in nine people, are estimated to be hungry in the world.

You might think that hunger and malnutrition are issues limited to poverty areas. However, there are concerns about food shortages and price hikes even in developed countries, including Japan. That is because increasing demand for food due to the world’s growing population, droughts and windstorms caused by abnormal weather, and stagnation of distribution networks due to pandemics and wars exacerbate the situation.

Japan’s low food self-sufficiency rate raises the risk of hunger

Among developed countries, Japan’s food self-sufficiency rate is comparatively low at 38%. Although the self-sufficiency rate was 73% after World War II, the changes in the Japanese diet caused an increasing demand for imported foods such as meat, fats, and oils and squeezed agricultural operations for staple foods such as rice, which could be self-sufficient. Currently, we are importing the remaining 62% of our food from overseas stably, but there is no guarantee that we will be able to import food permanently and stably.

In particular, the food supply that uses the natural environment for production, such as farmland, water, and sunlight, can be easily unstable. If production declines in the country from which the food is imported due to drought or extreme weather conditions, import and sales prices would rise, and low-income groups risk not being able to afford the food.

Physical access is also a major concern. For example, in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, while people affected by the disaster were financially able to afford to buy food, roads were blocked, and sufficient food supplies were not delivered. Besides, another report reported that people were forced to eat an unbalanced diet, with an overabundance of carbohydrates such as sweet bread and rice balls but a shortage of vegetables and meat.

In addition, a war in the vicinity of Japan, such as the Taiwan contingency, may destroy the sea route and have a significant impact on our food situation. In particular, if the wheat, corn, and soybeans we import as feed for livestock cannot be imported, the Japanese livestock industry will not be able to obtain sufficient protein. Even rice, which is currently almost 100% self-sufficient, is not in a condition to cope with starvation should it occur, as there are not enough reserves.

How can Japan improve self-sufficiency?

While the Japanese government has set a goal of increasing food self-sufficiency to 45% by 2030 to prepare for future hunger risks, the self-sufficiency rate continues to decline year by year.

Currently, the government is reducing rice production, which is a staple food, but production should be increased in case of emergency. Increasing rice self-sufficiency and exporting more rice will make it possible for the government to save it in case of emergency. It is also necessary to introduce more efficient production methods using small IT and technology and move toward a more regenerative agri-food system.

At the same time, rethinking individual consumption activities, such as choosing domestically produced foods and rethinking our meat-centric lifestyles, will help increase self-sufficiency and decrease the risk of hunger.