Report for JSPS Asian Science Seminar FY2006    <Summary>

Date Feb 13th, 2007

1.Title of Seminar

JASS'06: JSPS Asian Science Seminar on Development Strategy for Sustainable Food System

2.Purpose of Seminar

   The purpose of this seminar is to understand the current state of Japanese agriculture and examine the challenges of food supply and demand of Asian countries as they relate to building a development strategy on the basis of a sustainable food system. The present food self-sufficiency ratios of Asian countries have been sustained at high levels, except for Japan and Korea. However, it is possible that the food self-sufficiency ratio may sharply fall due to future economic development strategies. Such a sharp rate of decline would be unfavorable from the viewpoint of Asian food security and raising the ratio again would be very difficult.
   The relative decrease of agriculture in domestic industry has caused multiple functions of farmland to decline. This has led to the collapse of farm village communities as well as a decline in the self-sufficiency ratio. From the viewpoint of sustainable local development, it is important to preserve agriculture, farm villages, and the environment in Asia.
   The natural result of increasing food imports occurs if the food self-sufficiency ratio decreases. We must avoid this situation in many Asian countries besides Japan. This seminar is for young researchers who will exert influence on future policy planning in their native Asian countries. We hope they will incorporate the lessons learned from Japan's failed agriculture policy into their strategies for building their nations' economic development.

3.Period

From November 26th, 2006 through December 5th, 2006 (10days)

4.Venue

Nihon University College of Bioresource Sciences (NUBS)
Kameino 1866, Fujisawa city, Kanagawa 252-8510, JAPAN
Field Study Site: Yokohama City, Doshi Village, Narusawa Village

5.Organization

(1) Cosponsors

(2) Organizer

6.Program: Agenda, topics, related activities (e.g., reception, excursion)

7.Lecturers and Participants

1) Number of Persons

2) List

8.Please describe the achievements of the seminar.

Accomplishments on the Academic Viewpoint
  The Japanese food self-sufficiency ratio is under 40%. This means that Japan faces a food crisis from the aspect of food security. In addition, the abandonment of ground cultivation, especially in intermediate and mountainous areas, has resulted in the loss of manifold functions of farmland. This causes big problems regarding environmental land preservation.
  On the other hand, Asian countries such as the Asian NIEs (Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, and Taiwan), the members of ASEAN, and China have all experienced rapid economic development. Economic growth promotes industrialization and the service industry, but also brings about decline in the food self-sufficiency ratio.
  The economic development during the Japanese postwar period similarly promoted industrialization and service industry. It changed Japanese life-styles and food customs, and brought about derogation of its food self-sufficiency ratio as the result. Now, other Asian countries experiencing rapid economic development are at risk of developing similar conditions. They need new development strategies so that they do not make the same mistakes as Japan regarding food security and environmental safeguards.
  The seminar participants took notes every day from four lecturers who were invited from Asian countries. From the lectures, they learned a lot about Asian countries' food and agricultural problems, and future prospects. They were aware of the present food and agriculture situations of their own and other Asian countries, and clearly understood that the development strategy for sustainable food systems requires information exchanges and cooperation between Asian countries. In addition, at the end of each day, they had meetings to exchange their opinions about the lectures and share their knowledge.
  This generation of researchers, who will contribute to the construction of development strategies in Asia, must study the present situation of Japanese supply and demand. They must understand the negative effect of degradation of Japan's self-sufficiency ratio, and use this understanding in shaping more desirable food policies and development strategies in Asian countries. The study also contributes to literature about Japanese food subsistence security, and is not limited to the fields of development economics, agricultural economics, and food policies.

International A.C. and result from the viewpoint of young researcher upbringing
  We want young researchers who will exert influence on the development strategies of Asian nations to understand the Japanese food and agriculture policy, so that they may put that knowledge to use in shaping their countries' economy and agricultural strategies. One of the objects of this seminar is to understand the negative effect of the food self-sufficiency ratio decline. Such effects lead to the increased need to emphasize the safety side of food self-sufficiency, maintain environmental safeguards, and preserve farm village communities.
  In the latter half of the seminar, the participants went on a 3-day tour to visit a farmhouse in YOKOHAMA-city and MICHINOEKI in YAMANASHI-KEN to observe the present situation of Japanese agriculture. This tour had the positive effect of deepening the friendship between participants. They organized networks and promised to cooperate with each other in future investigations.
  Each participant has a responsibility to build his or her country's development strategy with a sense of impending yet preventable crisis. We hope that the participants make use of the knowledge gained from this seminar, and that these talented people will contribute positively to the development strategies of Asian countries.

•Result of the Questionnaire for the Seminar Participants [PDF]