TOKYO: Japan’s ‌food self-sufficiency ratio fell to 37% for the fiscal year ended March 31, down 1 percentage point from a ​year earlier and well below the government’s 45% target for fiscal 2030, the agriculture ministry said on Friday.

The ratio, among the lowest of developed economies, underscores Japan’s vulnerability to food supply disruptions amid heightened geopolitical tensions, including the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war and the Middle East conflict.

The calorie-based ratio, ‌which measures ‌the share of food consumed that ​is ‌produced ⁠domestically, ​slipped as ⁠rice consumption declined and private-sector stockpiles increased, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said.

The ratio has remained below 40% for more than a decade despite government efforts to boost domestic production of heavily imported crops such as wheat and soybeans.

Australia, ⁠Canada, France and the U.S. have ‌self-sufficiency ratios above 100%, whereas ‌Germany’s ratio stood at 81%, Britain’s ​at 56% and ‌Italy’s at 51% in 2023, according to ministry estimates ‌based on the latest available data.

Japan’s self-sufficiency rate measured by production value rose 2 percentage points to 66% in the last fiscal year, helped by higher domestic ‌prices for rice and livestock products.

The farm sector continues to face structural ⁠challenges, including ⁠an ageing workforce, a lack of successors and shrinking farmland. Dietary shifts away from rice toward meat and foods cooked with oil have also weighed on the self-sufficiency ratio.

To achieve its 45% goal, Japan plans to expand farmland for wheat and soybeans, for which it remains heavily dependent on imports, said Toshiaki Sasaki, planning director at the ministry’s food security office.

The ministry will review ​progress toward the ​fiscal 2030 target later this month and consider additional measures as needed, Sasaki said.

Reuters