Japans nieuwe duurzaamheidstrategie voor landbouw
Recent heeft het Japanse landbouwministerie een nieuwe duurzaamheidsstrategie ontwikkeld met ambitieuze doelen voor emissies, 25% biologische landbouw en reductie van pesticiden en kunstmest. De doelstellingen moeten in 2050 verwezenlijkt zijn en zijn te vergelijken met de “green deal” van de EU. De zogenaamde “Sustainable Food System Strategy” zoekt de oplossingen voornamelijk in op innovaties en technologie, zoals precisielandbouw.
The strategy called “Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resillience with Innovation (MeaDRI)” is positioned as a medium- to long-term strategy which aims to improve both productivity and sustainability in agriculture, forestry and fishery sectors through innovations. It presents a number of ambitious goals, such as zero CO2 emissions from agriculture, forestry and fishery sector, 50% reduction in risk-weighted use of chemical pesticides, 30% reduction in chemical fertilizer use, an increase in organic farming to 1 million ha (equivalent to 25% of farmland), all to be realized by 2050. The crucial pillar of the strategy is a strong focus on innovation and smart agriculture. For instance, energy-saving greenhouses and electric or hydrogen powered agricultural machinery and vessels as technologies for achieving zero emissions; precision application of pesticides using drones and the use of weeding robots as technologies for reduction in pesticide use; precision application of fertilizers using drones and soil health analysis using AI as technologies for reduction in fertilizer use.
The new strategy indicates a major policy shift towards sustainable food systems in Japan. It is also in line with the Green Growth Strategy towards 2050 carbon neutrality announced by the Government of Japan in December 2020.
More information is available on MAFF’s website on MeaDRI.
