A Food Crisis?

Imagine Japan without soy sauce. The idea may seem trivial but it frightens the Japanese. They depend on soya bean products for much of their daily protein. Food shortages that might result from a breakdown in Japan's international trade are a worrying, ever present danger. For despite its economic affluence, the overcrowded nation remains the world's only major nation that imports a sizeable proportion of its food.

The country's inability to feed itself means that the Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry is constantly worried about a food crisis. Imports of agricultural products satisfy about 28% of Japan's dietary needs. Although the nation's farmers grow more than enough rice for the population of 117 million, the self-sufficiency rate for other grains, including wheat has dropped from 81% in 1955 to a current 33%. Japan last year paid out US $15 billion to food trading partners, and this accounted for 13% of total imports.

The potential threat to the Japanese diet posed by global crop failures, international disputes, port strikes or trade embargoes has led the government to study the problem of is 'food security'. A recent report says that Japan could eat pretty much as usual if imports dropped by 10-20% but if supplies fell by 50% the Japanese would have to go back to eating more rice, and less meat. If imports stopped altogether, they would have to consume 20 times more sweet potatoes. Nobody would starve to death, perhaps, but meals would look very different. The government, which currently subsidises rice production, has been encouraging farmers to 'rest their paddis' or switch to growing wheat, or soya beans. But because many government Members of Parliament depend on rural votes, they are reluctant to change the decade Old Food Control Law. However, unless the government formulates a new food policy, a sudden decline in grain imports could leave the Japanese very hungry. A disaster is very unlikely to happen, says one ministry official, 'but you never know how things will be in the future".

Asia week 12 February, 1982

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COMPREHENSION

 Exercise 2. Give extensive answers for the following questions:

1. Is the Japanese economy successful or unsuccessful?

2. Fanners (who are rural voters) are subsidized by the Food Control Law. Do you expect that those members of Parliament who are elected by rural voters are eager to change the Law?

3. Is the writer describing a food shortage that might affect the whole world, or Japan only?

4. Does Japan produce sufficient rice to feed its own people? Sufficient wheat?

 Exercise 3.

Read this paragraph which comes from the above magazine article on the difficulties that one country faces in feeding itself.

The country's inability to feed itself means that the Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry is constantly worried about a 'food crisis'. Imports of agricultural products satisfy about 28% of Japan's dietary needs. Although the nation's farmers grow more than enough rice for the population of 117 million, the self-sufficiency rate for other grains, including wheat, has dropped from 81% in 1955 to a currenr33%. Japan last year paid out US $15 billion to food trading partners, and this accounted for 13% of total imports.

a. Where do you think this paragraph comes in the article? 1. first 2. in the middle b. Which of these titles do you think describes this paragraph best? 1. The Japanese diet 2. A world food crisis 3. A food crisis in Japan c. Which of these diagrams shows present food production in Japan? d. Which of these topics do you expect the writer to discuss elsewhere in the article? Choose three and write them in your notebook. 1. How to grow soya beans. 2. Studies made by the government of a possible food shortage. 3. Japanese military history. 4. The political difficulties of formulating (planning) a new food policy. 5. Why the shortage of essential food frightens the Japanese. 6. The use of cheap labour in paddis (rice farms).

 Exercise 4.

Which of these statements agree with the text? Write 'agreed' or 'disagreed' in your notebook. a. The Japanese get much of their protein from soya products. b. The government is not worried by trade embargoes (i.e. stoppages on trade by other countries). c. If all food imports were stopped, many people would starve to death. d. The Japanese would be forced to change their diet if food imports ceased. e. The government can change the pattern of food production by stopping paying subsidies to paddi farmers. f. This move would be very popular among voters in the countryside. g. Japanese politicians are therefore eager to stop paying subsidies on rice production.