Annual Report on Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas in Japan FY 2007 (Summary)

1. Frequent occurrence of incidents undermining consumer confidence in food

2. Exceptional increases in prices for crude oil, grain, and soybean

3. Damages caused by natural disasters including the Niigataken Chuetsu-oki earthquake

4. Exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products and foods exceeding 400 billion yen

(1) Trends in agricultural structure and agricultural managements

(2) Rice policy reforms

(3) Implementation of the New Program to Stabilize Farmers’ Income

(4) Promoting the intensive use of farmland

(5) Undertakings toward development of diversified types of agricultural managements

(1) Accelerating global warming countermeasures

(2) Engaging in actions towards the conservation of biodiversity

(3) Conserving agricultural land and other rural resources and improving rural environment

(1) Global food situation and agricultural trade negotiations

(2) Improving the food self-sufficiency ratio and stable supply of safe food

(3) Ensuring food safety and consumer confidence

(1) The current state of the farm labor force

(2) Promoting agricultural cooperative reforms

(3) Reducing food supply costs

(4) Production and policies by item

(5) Export promotion of agricultural, forestry and fishery products and foods

(6) Various actions towards strengthening the structure of agriculture and the bolstering of high added value

(1) Present state of rural areas and communities

(2) Reinforcement of the cooperation with the food industry and other industries

(3) Promoting co-existence and interactions between urban and rural areas

To Ensure the Future of Food - message from the strategy council for envisioning the future of food