Hello everyone! I’m Shohei.
Japanese agriculture is in a serious situation right now.
Do you know?
The number of farmers is decreasing year after year due to the aging population, and there is a possibility that farmers will disappear all at once in 10 years.
What will happen to food if that happens?
If this situation continues, fresh vegetables may disappear from our tables and prices may soar.
This article will explain in detail the current state and future of Japanese agriculture, and the demand for plant factories from society.
The following article details the advantages and disadvantages of plant factories. Please read it together.
The “Dangerous Situation” of Japanese Agriculture
The number of people employed in agriculture in Japan has been decreasing year after year, reaching 1.36 million in 2020.
This represents a decrease of about 34% compared to 2010, 10 years ago, when the number was 2.05 million.
Furthermore, the average age of people employed in agriculture is 67.8 years old, indicating a high level of aging.
The particular problem is that the time is approaching when many elderly farmers will retire at once. If a large number of farmers in their late 60s to 70s retire, Japan’s food production will suffer a major blow.
To put it mildly, it’s a “dangerous situation.”
Of course, there are a certain number of new farmers entering the industry, but it’s not enough to compensate for the decreasing number of farmers. In 2022, the number of new farmers was 31,400 per year.
At this pace, the situation of farmers decreasing will not be stopped.
Also, many farms have no successors, and the proportion of agricultural workers aged 65 or older who do not have a successor is about 70%. Unless this situation improves, the shortage of agricultural workers in Japan is expected to become even more serious.
The Role of Large-Scale Farms and Agricultural Corporations
However, it’s not like there is absolutely no way out.
While small-scale farms are decreasing, large-scale farms and agricultural corporations are attracting attention. According to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the number of large-scale farms with sales of ¥100 million or more increased 1.2 times in the five years from 2015 to 2020.
Large-scale farms have achieved cost reduction and increased productivity through efficient farm management. They are also proactive in introducing advanced technologies, enabling stable food supply and quality control.
Agricultural corporations are also on the rise. In the five years from 2015 to 2020, the number of agricultural corporations increased from 22,800 to 30,700, an increase of about 30%.
However, they are facing problems such as labor shortages and rising raw material costs, and some are finding it difficult to continue their operations. Establishing a stable management foundation is a challenge.
What’s Really Scary is the Uncertainty
With the decrease in the number of farmers, the future of Japan’s food production is uncertain.
There are also predictions that the production value will not change significantly even if the number of farmers decreases. In fact, Japan’s agricultural production value has not changed significantly over the past 20 years. The total agricultural production value in 2000 was ¥9.1 trillion, and in 2020 it was ¥8.9 trillion, a decrease of about 2% over 20 years.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, one factor that can be considered is that small-scale farms with annual sales of less than ¥5 million account for 80% of the total, while farms with sales of ¥5 million or more account for only 20%. However, these 20% of farms account for 80% of Japan’s total agricultural production. This means that large-scale farms are currently supporting the majority of production.
Even if small-scale farms decrease, large-scale farms are maintaining production, so the impact on overall production value is limited. Large-scale farms have achieved an efficient production system and high productivity, and by introducing agricultural machinery and streamlining management, they can produce large quantities with fewer workers.
Nevertheless, the number of farmers is bound to decrease dramatically in the future. The current state of Japan’s food supply is one where it’s not clear what will happen.
However, there is no doubt that the role of large-scale farms and agricultural corporations will become increasingly important. At the same time, it will be necessary to develop new agricultural technologies adapted to climate change and provide policy support from the perspective of food security.
Demand for Plant Factories from Society
Amidst this situation, expectations are high for plant factories.
Plant factories are facilities where vegetables are cultivated using artificial light in a closed environment. They are characterized by being less susceptible to the effects of climate change, as they can produce vegetables stably regardless of the weather. Furthermore, by optimally controlling temperature, humidity, and light intensity, high-quality vegetables can be supplied year-round.
The following article also discusses what can be achieved with plant factories. Please take a look.
There are three main demands from society for plant factories:
- Stable food supply: Building a stable food supply system that is not affected by climate change or a decrease in farmers.
- Ensuring food safety: Providing safe and high-quality vegetables with minimal use of pesticides.
- Regional economic revitalization: Creation of new agricultural businesses and employment security centered on plant factories.
To meet these demands, large-scale expansion and economic efficiency of plant factories are essential. Currently, the challenge is that construction costs and operating costs are high, making it difficult to produce vegetables with competitive prices.
It is also important to enhance the added value of vegetables produced in plant factories and gain consumer understanding.
In addition to appealing to safety and high nutritional value, it is necessary to convey the freshness and good taste unique to plant factory vegetables to consumers.
However, Plant Factories Have Challenges
I have been in the plant factory industry for many years, and to be honest, there are many challenges.
I wrote about this in the following article as well.
To stabilize the operation of plant factories, it is essential to enhance on-site skills.
However, every plant factory struggles with education and on-site skills improvement…
My site provides essential know-how for improving on-site skills.
If you are interested, please check out the following content.
Plant factories hold the potential to open up the future of Japanese agriculture.
It is hoped that they will contribute to building a sustainable food production system while meeting the demands of society.
- Are plant factories not agriculture?
-
Plant factories are different from conventional soil-based agriculture, but in terms of growing plants and producing food, they can be considered agriculture in a broad sense. They can be seen as a new form of agriculture that utilizes the latest technologies.
- What are the negative aspects of growing in plant factories?
-
Plant factories have the disadvantage of requiring large initial investments and high operating costs. In particular, energy costs such as electricity are a major burden. Also, in the case of completely artificial light-type plant factories, since they do not use sunlight at all, they sometimes receive criticism from the perspective of sustainability.
- Why are plant factories in the red?
-
Plant factories tend to have low profitability due to high initial investments and operating costs such as utilities. Also, their production products have weak price competitiveness, and the selling price in the market is often below the production cost, making it difficult to make a profit.
Comments