[Post 1503] Japan Imports 60% Of Its Food: Why A Weak Yen Is Triggering A Crisis | Insight


Summary

Japan, renowned for its culinary excellence, faces a dilemma in its food supply chain.

With a rapidly aging farming population, shrinking domestic production, and decades of policies designed to limit supply and stabilise prices, the country remains heavily dependent on imported food. It imports 6 out of every 10 calories its people consume and has one of the lowest food self-sufficiency rates among OECD countries.

But with the weakening yen, food prices are soaring, leaving lower-income households facing food insecurity. Japan’s government says it wants to strengthen food security and raise self-sufficiency, yet decades of export-driven agricultural policy and supply controls have left the country vulnerable to current geopolitical shocks. 

Can Japan solve its food dilemma?

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