### 3. Japan's Approach to Rising Food Prices

As food prices continue to soar into 2008, the need for emergency assistance such as food aid has become greater in developing countries. In April, Japan announced its intent to provide approximately US$100 million in food aid by July, taking proactive steps for extending emergency assistance. As the G8 chair and host of TICAD IV, Japan has raised this issue on various diplomatic occasions, seeking a unified response by the international community.

At TICAD IV, Japan called to double rice production in Africa in ten years, positioning agriculture as an important pillar for achieving economic growth and reducing poverty. Assistance measures Japan announced for increasing food production and improving agricultural productivity in Africa include irrigation, breeding new plant species, and human resource development in agriculture. Moreover, then Prime Minister Fukuda and then Foreign Minister Koumura attended a panel discussion on rising food prices hosted by the World Bank, FAO, WFP, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), where they discussed how to address this issue with other African leaders.

Right after TICAD IV, at the High-Level Conference on World Food Security hosted by FAO in early June, then Prime Minister Fukuda, who attended the conference along with then Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Masatoshi Wakabayashi, expressed Japan's views on the issue of rising food prices and its intent to transmit a strong message to the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit. Japan announced active contributions for developing countries, including US$100 million in emergency food aid, US$50 million in aid for poverty-stricken farmers to increase food production, social relief measures for people suffering from famine, and aid for emergency planting of agricultural products. Japan also announced that it is prepared to release not less than 300,000 tons of rice that it has imported, and also called on other nations to release their reserves as well, while calling for restraint against restricting food exportation.

At the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit, the G8 leaders reaffirmed the determination that the international community should come together in making a comprehensive and concerted response to the problem of rising food prices. The leaders expressed their intent to continue tackling the issue to the maximum extent possible. Besides emergency aid, they also concurred on mid- to long-term measures to be taken, such as reversing the overall decrease in agricultural aid and investments. The leaders agreed to greatly increase assistance for initiatives in the agricultural sector made by developing countries, abolish export restrictions on agricultural products, enhance the global market and trade systems for agriculture and food by such means as utilizing food reserves, and to balance biofuel and food security. Many of the views expressed by Japan since TICAD IV were reflected in these G8 leaders' commitments. In order to address rising food prices, it is important that all related parties, including both the private sector and civil society, construct a global partnership and work together. The G8 leaders have established an expert group and will conduct follow-ups. Japan aims to continue leading the discussion in the international community.

Chart II-6. Japan's Food Aid to Developing Countries and Support for Increasing Agricultural Production

Japan's Food Aid to Developing Countries and Support for Increasing Agricultural Production (Implemented and announced from January to July 2008)
Food Support (2008)	Total US$253.10 million
Agricultural Support	Total US$841.25 million
Grant aid and technical cooperation for Africa	US$230.00 million (Over the next 5 years)
Loan aid for Africa	Up to US$480.00 million (Over the next 5 years)
Support for poor farmers	US$60 million (for 2008)
Others (contributions to multilateral institutions and disbursements by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)	US$71.25 million (for 2008)