(Promotion of Shokuiku and the local consumption of local produce)

• The “Japanese dietary pattern” will be promoted by utilizing the “Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top” at each phase of production, distribution and consumption, in accordance with the Basic Program for “Shokuiku” promotion, while support will be given to the “Educational Farm” activities. In addition, the formulation of a practical plan for the local consumption of local produce in each region, as well as activities based on the plan, will be promoted.

(Enhancement of the competitiveness of the food industry)

• The supply of high added-value food products will be promoted through stronger collaborations between the food industry and agriculture. The international competitiveness of the Japanese food industry will be enhanced by, for example, increasing investment in East Asian countries. Food supply costs, such as production material costs and distribution costs, will be reduced. Environmental measures, as well as measures to increase the efficiency of food distribution, will be promoted in a comprehensive manner.

(Stable imports of food and food security)

• Efforts will be made to ensure that food is imported steadily from multiple sources and that major agricultural products are appropriately stored, to secure stable importation of food, and to maximize food security as a contingency measure. Furthermore, the manuals created for securing a stable supply of food in a contingency situation will be reviewed, and information on food demand and supply inside and outside Japan will be collected and analyzed.

(Promotion of international cooperation)

• Technical and financial cooperation, and food aid will be offered to developing countries to vitalize their agriculture and rural areas in order to reduce hunger and poverty, tackle global environmental problems, and promote their understanding and support for our claims in agricultural negotiations and other occasions.

## 5 Measures Related to the Sustainable Development of Agriculture

(Fostering and securing of principal farmers to establish a desirable agricultural structure)

• Measures for fostering and securing motivated farmers will be implemented, and the certified farmer system will be appropriately operated. In addition, to ensure the concentration and prioritization of measures for principal farmers, the development of a no interest loan program for funds for certified farmers, the integration of contacts for farm management support services provided by various organizations, and other farm management support measures will be promoted in a comprehensive manner.

(Fostering and securing of human resources, promotion of women's participation)

• Detailed support will be provided at each phase of nurturing of farmers – information provision, consultation, hands-on experience, training, preparation for engagement in farming, and post-engagement support – to encourage baby-boomers, young people, and others with no farming experience to become farmers.

• Females will be encouraged to participate in a policy decision-making process for their regional agriculture and regional community, as well as in farm management. Activities by aged farmers will also be promoted.

(Promotion of effective use of farmland)

• Focus will be placed on promoting the consolidation of farmland among principal farmers in a form in which the farmland cultivated by them is parceled together to realize true cost reduction. In addition, the area of abandonment of cultivation will be controlled to prevent its increase and ultimately eliminated. The participation of motivated corporations and other organizations in farm management, as well as the systematic utilization of land to secure superior farmland, will also be promoted.

(Establishment of farm management stabilization programs)

• The “Direct Payment for Land-extensive Farming” will be implemented thoroughly to accelerate structural reforms of agriculture in Japan. The scheme is targeted at motivated competent principal farmers, and covers five land-extensive agricultural products, namely, rice, wheat and barley, soybeans, beets, and starch potatoes. The new commodity-specific measures for vegetables, fruits, livestock and others will also be implemented for principal farmers.

(Active promotion of exports)

• Specific measures, such as the development of the export environment, detailed export support for each commodity, and the promotion of Japanese foods and foodstuffs abroad, will be performed to achieve the goal of increasing the exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products and foods to approximately one trillion