WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(09)/ST/17/Add.1
1 December 2009 
 (09-6077) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Seventh Session Geneva, 30 November - 2 December 2009 Original:   English 
 
  
JAPAN 
 
Statement by Mr Hirotaka Akamatsu
 
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries  
 
Addendum  
  Summary 
 
• Through generations of paddy farming, Japanese people have gained wisdom on 
topics such as "natural cycles" and "susta inability".  Nowadays, such wisdom has 
become keywords in addressing global- scale agendas in areas such as food, 
environment and trade. 
• The number of under-nourished people in th e world has reached a critical level of 
one billion.  We should determinedly  tackle this global food crisis. 
• In order to overcome this issue, it is essential to increase agricultural productivity in 
each country from a medium to long-ter m perspective.  Japan is working on 
introducing new agricultural policies to rev italize agriculture in our country.  These 
policies will strengthen agricultural produc tivity and eventually contribute to 
stabilizing global food situations. 
• The recent food crisis has reminded us that the maintenance of different agriculture 
systems which are suitable to specific regions, i.e. "the coexistence of various types of 
agriculture," is indispensable.  Through the Doha Development Agenda agriculture 
negotiations, disciplines on agricultural trade ar e to be developed which can facilitate 
the mutual development of agriculture  in each country, while accommodating the 
sensitivities of each country. 
• Japan is determined to contribute construc tively toward the successful conclusion of 
the Doha Round Negotiations in 2010. 
 It is a great pleasure for me to address this Conference of the WTO as one of the delegates of 
the Government of Japan.  I would like to exte nd my sincere gratitude to the Government of 
Switzerland;  Minister Andres Velasco, the Chairp erson of the Conference;  Mr Pascal Lamy, WTO 
Director-General;  and all those involved in the pr eparation of the Seventh Session of the Ministerial 
Conference of the WTO. 
 WT/MIN(09)/ST/17/Add.1 
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  Food and Agriculture in Japan 
 
 A few months ago, Japan experienced a histori cal change of government.  Since then, I have 
been working to address the revitalization of agri culture, forestry and fi sheries in Japan as the 
Minister responsible for these sectors. 
 
 Food and agriculture comprise the basis of th e life, culture and tradition of the Japanese 
people.  Located in an Asian monsoon climate which is characterized by high temperatures and high 
humidity, Japan has practised sustainable paddy farming, benefiting from abundant sunlight and 
water, with plentiful harvests since ancient times.  Under these circumstances, Japanese people have 
learned through our daily lives and experiences the necessity of harmonizing delicate natural 
conditions, the precious gifts of Mother Earth, and the delights of working cooperatively in a 
community.  Agriculture has been our livelihood and played a central role in the interaction between 
nature and human society.  
 In Japan, more than 120 million people live in a relatively small country dominated by 
mountainous and hilly regions.  Moreover, we have  often suffered from typhoons and other natural 
disasters.  Therefore, in our long history, we ha ve often been under the threats of famine and food 
shortages.   Under these circumstances, Japanese people have  naturally acquired an affinity and sense of 
awe toward nature, and found special values and mean ings in food and agriculture.  That is to say, 
Japanese people have acquired wisdom on current topi cs such as "natural cycles" and "sustainability" 
through paddy farming.   I believe that this wisdom which we have cu ltivated through the ages h as become valuable in 
addressing global-scale agendas in areas such as f ood, environment and trade in the twenty-first 
century, an era of growing confusion.   With all of this in mind, let me move on to the issues we face today, including the global food 
problem and trade in agricultural prod ucts, which are closely interrelated. 
 Global food situation 
 
 The number of under-nourished people in the world continues to rise and currently has 
reached one billion while world food prices remain at  high levels and the global economy has not yet 
recovered from the severe downturn triggered by the fina ncial crisis.  In fact, according to the FAO, at 
a terrifying pace of every six minutes, one child dies of hunger or related diseases somewhere in the 
world.  We have the Millennium Development Go als aiming to reduce by half the population who 
suffer from hunger by 2015.  Nevertheless, the reality is heading the other way.  I feel deep concern 
for such situations.   The fundamental elements necessary for food production are being threatened by various 
factors such as the continued population explosion, climate change, natural disasters, the exhaustion 
of forest and water resources, and soil deterioration.   New structural elements behind the current food 
crisis include changing dietary habits in many countries and increasing demands for agricultural 
products for biofuels.  
 How should we determinedly address these complicated global issues which have been 
caused by various factors including agriculture, th e population, the natural environment, and energy, 
among others?   WT/MIN(09)/ST/17/Add.1 
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  Our responsibilities 
 
 I strongly believe that, in order to overcome the global food crisis, it is not sufficient to 
provide emergency or short-term measures such  as temporary food aid programmes for developing 
countries.  Rather, from a medium to long-term pe rspective, it is essential to increase agricultural 
production and productivity in each country. 
  Japan will make every effort to assist de veloping countries in increasing food production and 
enhancing their agricultural productivity.  In a ddition, Japan will strongly promote new foreign 
agricultural investment programmes under cooperation between the public and private sectors.  I 
believe that these actions coincide with the spirit of the Doha Development Agenda which emphasizes 
the development of developing countries.   Japan is the world's largest net food-importi ng country and has contributed greatly to the 
development of the global economy through trade.  However, Japan's food self-sufficiency ratio has 
been decreasing and hovering around the lowest le vel among major developed countries.  Under the 
circumstances in which the global food supply and dema nd has been tightening, it is our urgent task to 
create a more solid and sustainable domestic ag ricultural production system by utilizing every 
possible resource.   Currently I am working on introducing new ag ricultural policies to revitalize agriculture in 
our country.  The purposes of these policies are to improve the environment so that all motivated 
farmers can make a living in agricu lture with their creative ideas, to  ensure the multi-functionality of 
agriculture, and to revitalize rural communities.  I am sure that the new policies will strengthen 
agricultural production and productivity in Japan wh ich will contribute to stabilizing the global food 
situations. 
 
"Coexistence of various types of agriculture" and the Doha Round 
 
 The food crisis problem has reminded us that the maintenance of different agriculture systems which are suitable to specific regions, i.e. "the co existence of various types of agriculture," is 
indispensable for ensuring global food security. 
 
 Given the finite nature of the earth's natural resources, the primary advantages of agriculture 
which exercises a cyclical use of resources should be further utilized hereafter for the future of human 
beings.  Sustainable agriculture should be de veloped properly even under a progressing market 
economy and globalization. 
 
 In the Doha Development Agenda agriculture  negotiations, Japan has put forward its views 
under the guiding principle of "the coexistence of va rious types of agriculture" from its standpoint as a 
food-importing country.  In addition to the disci plines for open trade, we sincerely hope that 
agricultural trade rules are to be developed in such a way as to ensure food security and the multi-
functionality of agriculture and to facilitate the mu tual development of agriculture in each country 
under different conditions, while accommodating the sensitivities of each country.  These sorts of 
ideas are embodied in the G-10 Ministerial Press Stat ement which was issued just recently by a group 
of food-importing Members, and Japan of course heartily subscribes to it.   Taking this opportunity, I wish to refer to the discipline on fisheries subsidies which is also an 
important issue.  Japan is of the view that the subsidies which do not contribute to over-capacity or 
overfishing need not be prohibited, and that the discipline should reinforce appropriate fisheries 
management based on scientific evidence from each Member and regional fisheries management organizations.  In these senses, we need to deepen  our discussion at future opportunities so that the 
discipline can become a properly balanced one. WT/MIN(09)/ST/17/Add.1 
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 Japan, as one of the countries which has benefite d the most from free trade, is determined to 
contribute constructively toward the Conclusi on of the Doha Round Negotiations in 2010. 
 
Closing 
  I would like to conclude my remarks by expressi ng my resolute determination to continue to 
tackle various difficult problems on a global scale in c oncert with the participants in this conference, 
in order to realize and maintain decent livelihoo ds, prosperity, dignity and happiness for all human 
beings. 
 
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