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A food self-sufficiency rate shows how much food a country produces compared to what it consumes. It’s an important way to understand a country’s food security and resilience, especially during global crises like wars, pandemics, or climate change. This has become more important in recent years.
Japan has one of the lowest food self-sufficiency rates among developed countries. According to Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), the calorie-based self-sufficiency rate in 2023 was 38%, which has stayed the same for three consecutive years. Compare this to countries such as the United States (124%), France (131%), and Australia (193%); self-sufficiency rates over 100% meaning that they produce more food than they use. Finland also ranks highly in the Global Food Security Index, which looks at factors like food affordability, availability, and environmental resilience. In 2020, Finland was ranked number one in the world.
It’s important to note that there are multiple methods used to calculate food self-sufficiency. Japan uses a stricter method that doesn't count meat or dairy as "domestic" when the animals eat imported feed. This makes Japan's rate appear lower than if it used methods common in other countries. Understanding differences in how they are calculated is important to bear in mind when comparing global food data between countries.
As we mentioned, Japan produces only 38% of the calories its people consume. This means over 60% of Japan's food depends on imports. For example, Japan imports 90% of its wheat, 100% of its corn, and 94% of its soybeans. This creates a dependency on international supply chains that is sensitive to disruption—a recent example of which, the Covid Pandemic, made obvious to all. A major concern for Japan is the Taiwan Strait. About 90% of Japan's container trade passes through this area, meaning that in the event of a conflict food imports would be delayed or stopped entirely.
Japan's farming industry also faces many challenges. The average age of farmers is 67 years old, and the number of people working in the industry decreases every year. Most farms are small and not very profitable, which makes it difficult for younger people to enter or continue farming. Also, Japan buys about 80% of its fertilizer and 90% of its animal feed from other countries.
To make its food system stronger, Japan needs to support local production, invest in agricultural technology solutions, and reduce its dependence on imported food and supplies. This isn’t just about farming more, it’s about building a more stable and sustainable ecosystem for the future.
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In response to these pressures, Japan is seeing a new wave of innovation in farming and food. Startups are finding better approaches than traditional farming and fishing methods, and offer sustainable, tech-driven solutions.
Here are some interesting examples:
Oishii Farm is a startup company using indoor vertical farming. The company operates large-scale vertical strawberry farms near New York and has raised over ¥5.5 billion (approx. $40 million) from investors like SPARX Group. By bringing advanced Japanese farming methods to other countries, Oishii is creating a new model for sustainable, scalable agriculture with consistently high quality.
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Regional Fish is a Kyoto-based food startup that develops high-speed biotechnology for fish breeding. Founded on joint research from Kyoto University and Kinki University, the company has developed sea bream with 20% more edible meat through advanced breeding. Their approach focuses on improving fish biology rather than just farming methods, addressing both food security and sustainability concerns.
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Base Food creates nutritionally complete meals using plant-based ingredients like soybeans. Their signature products are bread, pasta, and bars that contain all the nutrients needed in a single meal. The Tokyo-based startup is expanding globally by offering easy and healthy alternatives to traditional meals, while also reducing reliance on animal-based foods.
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SprouTx is a startup that develops methods for transforming soybeans into plant-based food ingredients like milk, meat, and eggs. Using its in-house processing technology, SprouTx makes soybeans more useful and tasty for everyday meals, reducing Japan’s need to import food.
These startups show how Japan is trying to solve its food security problems by mixing traditional agriculture with new technology. For global investors and entrepreneurs, they highlight real business opportunities in Japan's growing agri-food tech ecosystem, especially in areas focused on resource efficiency and productivity gains.
Japan still has room to improve its food self-sufficiency. For example, in Kyushu, some regions are working on Dutch-inspired approaches, using greenhouses, technology, and efficient systems to grow more local foods. These efforts show that Japan has the potential to grow more domestic food production if with the right support, investment, and innovation in place.
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