Japan's and the world's food security
2009
Ota, K.(Tokyo Univ. of Agriculture (Japan))
The purpose of this study is to discuss the salient feature of the present situation and issues of Japan's and the World's Food Security; in terms of three principal dimensions : 1) stability of demand and supply of food, 2) rationality of food prices and 3) safety of food. As a conceptual framework to undertake the empirical study on, the long term changes of food demand and supply structure, 3 types of 5-stage figure models, 1) Self-sufficiency oriented structural change model, 2) Import dependent structural change model and 3) Export oriented structural change model, were established. Using internet statistical data provided by US Department of Agriculture, FAO of UN and MAFF of Japan, empirical analysis of the structural change of demand and supply relations of major food was conducted comparing the result of analysis with the models established. The result of the analysis identified that the changed pattern of demand and supply of Japanese rice is just at 'The mature stage' in the model, in which both the demand volume and the supply decrease in parallel trend in the long run. On the other hand, the author argued that it is inevitably needed to increase self-sufficiency ratios of food to consolidate food security in Japan, because the author does not agree with such opinion, since the concept of 'Food Self-sufficiency Ratios' has simple and severe limitations and it is clear that, in any case, there is no relationship between the ratios of food self-sufficiency and the degree of Food Security. In conclusion, it is proposed from the global view point that we should promote international free trade and economic cooperation more in order to develop agriculture and food supply especially in the developing regions of the world. Thus, we in Japan can consolidate our food security.
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