INTRODUCTION
Japan is one of the 35 developed countries of the world, with its high GDP per capita it is ranked amongst the top countries and the people live a wealthy lifestyle throughout the country. However, the same cannot be said about food self-sufficiency as it is ranked as one of the lowest in the category. In 1960, the caloric intake of the country was around 79% which has seen a steep fall and currently stands at a mere 40%. The country is now eyeing to reach 45% caloric intake from self-produced agriculture products.
CHALLENGES JAPAN IS FACING
The challenges that the country is facing are not that easy to tackle, the very first being that two-thirds of its surface is mountainous and the number of farmers in the country is shrinking, and increasing in age (67 years old on average). Also, being surrounded by the ocean and with frequent tsunamis and floods, the fields are susceptible to losses due to such natural calamities. The rising problem of freshwater shortage has caught the attention and is one of the most concerning issues for the country.
THE INITIATIVES
The government to fulfil its objective has now turned towards digital agriculture and is promoting it through every possible platform and way. The government hopes that smart agriculture will enable it to build a more cohesive and sustainable food program. Earlier in 2016, the government had announced that it seeks to turn agriculture into a growth field, using Big Data, the Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Since then it has pushed forward agricultural reforms, with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) releasing a roadmap for business expansion into smart farming technologies and services. With the help of producers, municipal governments, the National Agriculture Research Institute, and the private sector, there are over 121 product sites conducting smart agriculture projects across the country.
Japan believes that “Digital agriculture has the power to be truly disruptive”. Farmers have started using sensors, communication networks, unmanned aerial vehicles, AI, robotics, and other parts of the IoT for data analytics, management, processing, decision-making, and implementation. They can use their vast array of data points, thanks to weather satellites, radars, and also Earth observation and remote sensing systems, to monitor weather conditions, temperature, moisture, etc. Satellite imaging and GPS can also be used to monitor the application of fertilizers and water usage or soil conditions in real-time, and to forecast crop yields. AI can help farmers make more informed crop choices and select the best hybrid seeds. It can also help develop precision agriculture in order to improve harvest quality and accuracy. Additionally, mobile connectivity can help farmers achieve higher profitability and economic stability.
The market for intelligent agriculture in Japan is expected to almost triple from sales revenue of JPY 15.87 billion in 2019 to a projected JPY 44.28 billion in 2025.
SOURCE: The Yano Research Institute
Digital farming will help overcome projected water shortages, allowing even inexperienced growers to manage their use of water more efficiently, and increase productivity in areas with limited access to water. “Fertigation”, an agricultural technique, allow farmers to use narrow pipes to place drops of water and fertilizer at the roots of growing crops, as opposed to spraying a large amount of water with sprinklers. Japan is using IoT and AI to make advances in fertigation, with data being collected from soil and light sensors. AI analyses the data to determine the right amount of water and fertilizers needed, making the approach far more sustainable.
The agriculture industry will need to produce 70% more food while only being able to use 5% more land.
UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
THE WAY FORWARD
According to EY, by 2050, the global population is expected to increase by almost 40% to 9.6 billion people. Japan believes digitalization is a key part of the solution as an enabler of a more sustainable, regenerative future in agriculture. Achieving sustainability in agriculture will in turn affect the whole food chain, as well as impact industrials and utilities, and it is why Japan’s approach is being mirrored in other countries globally. The global digital agriculture market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 10.26% from USD 11.527 billion in 2019 to reach a market size of USD 20.713 billion in 2025. In Japan, digital agriculture is at the early stages, but recent initiatives suggest a promising future for a sustainable future.