Basic Policy and Action Plan for the Revitalization of Japan’s Food, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries.

This Basic Policy and Action Plan for the Revitalization of Japan’s Food, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries is a multi-sectoral policy document at national level. The timeframe of the policy document is 5 years between 2011 and 2016. The overall purpose of the policy document is to enhance the competitiveness and soundness of Japan’s food, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, promote regional economies, and realize an revitalization of them.
Food security will be improved with increased production in agriculture and fisheries sectors.
In order to enable more inclusive and efficient food and agricultural systems, this Document addresses food safety and security, sustainable agricultural production, agricultural and rural development, international trade of agricultural products. Under Strategy 1 Enhancing competitiveness and soundness - Realizing sustainable and robust agriculture -the main strategy directions are: Increasing newcomers in particular young newconmers, to agriculture, thereby securing human resources to maintain Japan’s agriculture in the future; Promoting concentration of farmland to achieve 20–30 ha per farming unit in field crop agriculture in flat land areas; Agricultural cooperatives and agricultural committees should play a role exclusively for the development of management skills for farmers. In the Strategy 2: Enhancing competitiveness and soundness, priority is given to reconstruct the distinctive features of “deliciousness,” “safety,” and “environmental friendliness” through value addition in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, strengthening bond friendship with consumers and rebuilding strategies for the export of Japan’s agricultural, forestry, and seafood products. Under Strategy 4 - Revitalizing forests and forestry, it promotes the “Forest and Forestry Basic Plan” toward the achievement of the goal of 50% wood self‐sufficiency. Under Strategy 5 Revitalizing Fisheries, it promotes fishery business with high productivity and high profitability and seeks to create attractive fisheries through modernization and resource management.
Furthermore, the Document contains Strategy 6 (Constructing earthquake-resistant infrastructures for agriculture, forestry, and fisheries) and Strategy 7 (Taking effective countermeasures against nuclear disasters). Main strategic directions under Strategy 6 include: Agricultural, forest, and fishery infrastructures with disaster resilience and mitigation; Establishment of stable supply systems for food and feed. Under Strategy 7, priority will be the enhancement of the surveillance system and promotion of initiatives for decontamination.