Presently, Japan’s self-sufficiency of calorie is around 46% (as of 1994), which is extremely low, being ranked as 145th among the countries of the world.Contemporary Japan has material wealth, but on the other hand, we have lost the spiritual wealth and gratefulness. As regards the food, while we enjoy the satiation and gourmand, we depend on the import of food covering 53% of our needs.
According to the statistics of FAO (1999-2001) one person out of eight of the world, namely 800 million people suffer from the starvation and 300 million out of them are children.
One child at every 5 seconds starves to death.
They are dying while you are reading this article.
800 million people suffer from starvation and they live just for today, not for tomorrow.
It is considered that the global population increase, abnormal weather and other factors could contribute to the worldwide starvation. Each one of the people should appreciate the importance of the agricultural industry from the global viewpoint.
It is evidently felt that the mass-media intentionally leads the public when they talk about the liberalization of GATT (General Agreement of Trade and Tariff) and the agriculture. We should observe the background and the truth of the news, from the third party’s viewpoint, not only watching the news as they are reported.
The overall consensus, not only of the people engaged in the agricultural industry, but also of all the people of Japan, must debated of the world agriculture at global level as well as at your area level.
The country importing more than 53 % of agricultural and stockbreeding products with the result of increasing the global starvation should not be said as a developed country.
Each one of Japanese people must contemplate from the global viewpoint the importance of the agriculture, which has versatile role, being the source of the lives. We must create a wealthy agriculture, for the increment of the self-sufficiency, and for its unlimited possibilities.
Eventually, each one of us must consider the agriculture and food on global level beyond the borders.
This article was written on December 13, 1996.
