Lonely furrow: Little pay dirt for organic farming in Japan

In a country where people pay more than 12% of their income on food (Americans spend 4%, Europeans spend 7%), there is not going to be wide demand for higher-priced organic foods.

In America, the price for boutique organic foods is a fraction of what ordinary foods cost in Japan.

Among the countries listed in the article, Japan has the lowest disposable income, and people with low disposable incomes do not buy organic foods. The already-high price of food is one of the reasons disposable incomes are so

low.

Unfortunately, in Japan the economies of scale for farming, especially organic farming just don’t exist.

For a business model it is not a winner....

Sangetsu is right.

People should not wonder why there aren't more consumers willing to pay more for organic produce. They should wonder why consumers already have to pay so much for non-organic produce.

I presume organic sellers are already educating buyers about the benefits of their produce, so wouldn't it make sense to educate them about the problem of expecting fruit and veg to look perfect? If organic food has to look perfect, there must be even more waste at the farm than there is for farmers who spray pesticides.

In America, the price for boutique organic foods is a fraction of what ordinary foods cost in Japan.

Exactly, and not just in USA.

Back home, we buy organic quite often because it really is affordable. But in Japan, sometimes I feel guilty for spending absurd amounts of money for even non-organic produce.

And yes, the Japanese consumer is outright picky. The uglier the fruit/vegetable is, the more natural it is. Is JA forcing farmers to pay extra for things like chemical fertilizers and pesticides? My colleague's parents are farmers and they sometimes give me vegetables which couldn't make the grade to be sold in supermarkets. I look at the vegetables given to me and there is NOTHING wrong with them. Maybe a bit smaller than usual, but so what???!!!!!!

Here in Okinawa I know a few farmers who grow organic vegetables which they sell at the local farmers market, it’s a bit pricey but I like knowing that what I eat is not going to potentially make me sick in the long run, but I also understand that most local people don’t make much in terms of the wage disparity so they don’t pay attention to where their food comes from ( China or parts of japan exposed to radiation)

I also envy some of the people who have land but don’t take advantage and grow their own crops.

most supermarkets here have a chokehold on consumers.

I only feel disappointed to see this agriculture ministry in Japan, it seemed to protect the farmers and promote public healthy food. But not going to the right point. What will be the future of agriculture in Japan when more and more food will be imported from TPP partners and those won't be organic food. Protecting farmers and public healthy food? Well, it's still a virtual reality to me.

Alexandre

As the article says, "Organic farming occupied just 0.5 percent of Japan's entire arable area".

Importing more food into Japan does not mean a switch to chemically grown food. Japanese already eat food growth with the most chemicals in Asia. Japanese farmers tell us they are "safe" chemicals but we've heard that one before from other Japanese producers of dairy products, cakes, steel, airbags, etc. etc. The main risk I think for imported food would be groundwater pollution, not chemical use.

That farmer should open his eyes and take advantage of the boon of tourism. Provide accomodation, teaching and sell directly products to make it even for his business.

I went yesterday to such place in France in the middle of nowhere and 60 year lady with 2 fifteen year old girls were doing the job for one hectare !

Just adapt...

Agree 100% with kohakuebisu et al.

I have been farming near Kyoto for 10 years and I run events at the farm and in the city to promote sustainable agriculture. As an organic grower, we face more challenges than conventional farmers and our produce is (usually) of higher quality, therefore our prices are higher. I have volunteers staying at the farm to help, I run a CSA and use other innovations to help make the "business" of the farm more viable. However, as all the other organic growers I know, we live very modestly and often struggle. We keep at it though as we know we are providing a better food system for our communities and helping preserve the natural environments surrounding us. I believe Shibakai san shares our satisfaction in a life choice which faces the problems inherent today and does something about it. Someday society at large will come to understand what we farmers already know. The spread of sustainable agriculture is the only solution to the problems of: a self sufficiency rating below 40% ( the lowest in developed countries), the devastation of the natural environment caused by chemical runoff and loss of topsoil and the increasing health problems in this country due to the lack of truly healthy food. Please join in the effort as it is really to everyone's benefit.

Growing stuff on your balcony or small back garden isn't economical in Japan. The cost of Seeds alone is about the same as the finished product from the Supermarket.

Growing stuff on your balcony or small back garden isn't economical in Japan. The cost of Seeds alone is about the same as the finished product from the Supermarket.

That's not my experience at all.

For example, you can get a packet of lettuce seeds for ¥100 at the ¥100 Shop. I sowed half a packet in early spring and have so far harvested and eaten 14 lettuces, with many more still in the ground waiting to go. We've also had umpteen helpings of baby salad leaves from the thinnings.

My tiny rented allotment produces at least 5 or 6 times the value of what I pay for rent, seeds, seedlings, fertiliser, etc. And that doesn't factor in at all the pleasure of eating something you've grown yourself, guaranteed free of all pesticides, herbicides and other toxic chemical junk.