Hirofumi Kobayashi: A Quarter Century of the International Community and Food Security

2022/10/14

The prices of many food items that support the dietary habits of Japanese people have been raised one after another since the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, significantly impacting household life. The direct causes include energy prices being pushed up by sanctions against Russia by major countries, and the destruction of logistics infrastructure in Ukraine affecting international market prices for wheat and corn.

In addition, factors such as the drought in Canada last year that reduced oilseed production, the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ongoing depreciation of the yen have also been pointed out.

Of course, this is not the first time food prices have soared. Although the market eventually regained stability last year, international prices for soybeans and wheat temporarily strengthened as some exporting countries introduced export restrictions against the backdrop of changes in demand structure due to the spread of COVID-19 and increased demand in China.

Furthermore, around the same time as the 2008 financial crisis (the Lehman Shock), agricultural products became targets for speculation, causing international prices to skyrocket. At that time as well, export bans, restrictions, and export taxes by exporting countries distorted the market and added to the confusion.

The food crisis did not subside even in 2009, providing a catalyst for countries like China to engage in "farmland grabbing," buying up agricultural land in Africa.

In the international community, the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) held a "High-Level Conference on World Food Security" for heads of state in June 2008. In July of the same year, the "G8 Leaders' Statement on Global Food Security" was issued at the Hokkaido Toyako Summit, confirming that the introduction of strict disciplines, such as the abolition of export restrictions, was essential.

However, because the WTO Doha Round negotiations, which aim to deepen liberalization and expand its scope, have not been concluded, multilateral trade rules to tighten export discipline have not been realized. While GATT Article 21 states that nothing shall prevent a country from taking measures for its own security in times of war or other emergencies in international relations, it has been pointed out that the ambiguous conditions for applying this article are a cause of the abuse of export restrictions.

As these global issues emerged, momentum grew among agricultural organizations in major countries to start considering countermeasures. Prior to the 2009 L'Aquila Summit, leaders of G8 agricultural organizations compiled a joint declaration in Rome and handed it to the Minister of Food and Agriculture of the host country, Italy, and the Director-General of the FAO.

The main pillars of this joint declaration were: (1) agriculture should be positioned as a strategic sector in light of the food and economic crises; (2) consideration should be given to what farmers and societies in developing countries need; (3) the power balance among players in the value chain should be improved; and (4) it should be recognized that agriculture plays a role in mitigating the negative effects of climate change.

More than 10 years have passed since then, and discussions on reforming the entire food system from production to consumption have steadily progressed in the international community. UN Secretary-General Guterres held the UN Food Systems Summit last September toward achieving the SDGs by 2030.

In preparation for this meeting, the Japanese government compiled the "Strategy for Sustainable Food Systems, Meidri." In the formulation process, various stakeholders involved in production, distribution, processing, and consumption provided input. Based on the premise that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for the world, the strategy emphasized three points: (1) considering the situation on the ground, (2) promoting innovation, and (3) promoting a well-balanced diet.

A former high-ranking official of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries with extensive experience in international negotiations says that this strategy should not be limited to Japan alone, but should be implemented in cooperation with countries in the Asian monsoon region. This is because agriculture in this region is characterized by small-scale farming, and innovation and value chain construction based on this can be realistic improvement measures.

To this end, forums for information sharing and networking among Asian stakeholders are of great significance. Furthermore, it is essential for the "Meidri Strategy" to be given life by ensuring that the framework for policy coordination in the Asian region is shared with and effectively utilized by private citizens, including producer organizations.

In 1996, the FAO held the "World Food Summit" in Rome, defining food security as when "all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food" (Rome Declaration on World Food Security), and stated in the Plan of Action that it should be achieved at the "individual, household, national, regional and global levels."

Looking at this, some argue that the discussion of food security is exclusively a problem for developing countries, but the situation in developed countries is also not optimistic.

Food loss occurring at the production, distribution, and processing stages, as well as food waste in households and the food service industry, are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions. While lifestyle-related diseases derived from diet (obesity, diabetes, etc.) remain unresolved, the number of children and elderly people who cannot access safe and nutritious food due to poverty is increasing. Production and distribution depend on computers and satellite communications, and the stable supply of food cannot be guaranteed without thorough cybersecurity measures.

These are not things that can be solved overnight. There is no effective way other than for all stakeholders to cooperate and strengthen food security step by step.