Review of Sustainable Agriculture: Promotion, Its Challenges and Opportunities in Japan

Agricultural ecosystems are the largest managed ecosystem in the world.The sustainable development of agriculture is significant to the reversion of dramatic loss of biological diversity in the world.Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems （GIAHS） project launched by Food and Agriculture Organization （FAO） of the United Nations is among the global efforts to conserve and dynamically manage the specific agricultural knowledge system and landscapes.Ministry of Agriculture,Forestry and Fisheries （MAFF）,Japan stressed the environmental concern of conventional farming practices in Japan in 1992.Noto Peninsula and Sado City were designated as two new GIAHS pilot sites in Japan as part of local level initiative to preserve the traditional agricultural systems in 2011.This paper reviewed the development process of sustainable farming in Japan and analyzed the challenges and new possibilities to its further extension.The current situation of various sustainable farming practices：such as farming with reduced input of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to conserve rich biodiversity,and organic farming,were reviewed.Emphasis was given to the sustainable farming practices in Hokuriku region,in particular,Ishikawa Prefecture and Sado City in Niigata Prefecture.Based on the recent official documents,reports and research papers,policy implication was brought forward.The challenges of sustainable farming practices and market valuation of sustainable farming products were analyzed.It was concluded that the environmental concerns of farmers and consumers are key to extend the sustainable farming practice in Japan.Conversion to bottom up policy making process paying attention to farmers＇interest with involvement of multi stakeholders including government,researchers and private sectors is effective for sustainable farming extension.

Ten Years of GIAHS Development in Japan

Approximately ten years have passed since Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems(GIAHS)was introduced to Japan in 2011,with 11 GIAHS sites designated so far.The Japan Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems(J-NIAHS),which considers resilience,multi-stakeholder participation and sixth industrialization,was subsequently established in 2016,and has designated 15 J-NIAHS sites.GIAHS sites can be classified into three major types:Landscape,farming method,and genetic resource conservation types,and most Japanese GIAHS sites are of the landscape type.Since there is almost no national subsidy for GIAHS or J-NIAHS,designated sites are expected to secure funding for conservation from their own efforts.For this reason,a voluntary network of the Japanese GIAHS sites has been active in promoting cooperation on GIAHS conservation.The priorities of the Japanese GIAHS have focused on raising public awareness about GIAHS and J-NIAHS,improving livelihoods,as well as fostering the international exchange of experience and knowledge regarding Agricultural Heritage Systems,especially among Japan,China and Korea.

Comparative Study on Conservation of Agricultural Heritage Systems in China,Japan and Korea

The paper compares the agricultural heritage conservation schemes of China,Japan and Korea and,in particular,the national programs and their implementation under Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations（FAO）＇s Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems（GIAHS）.This comparison allows an understanding of the background of developments,designation criteria,application procedures and implementation structures of GIAHS and of the respective domestic programs in terms of the differences in national circumstances of Japan,China and South Korea.The sequence of implementation of GIAHS and the national program differs in each of the three countries.China introduced a national program after GIAHS designation,Japan has GIAHS but no national program,and Korea implemented a national program before its GIAHS designation.Thus GIAHS candidate sites in China and Korea are now selected from among their respective pools of national agricultural heritage sites.On the other hand,commonalities can be seen in the perspectives of the three countries with regards to agricultural heritage conservation through the common emphasis placed on the designation criteria：historical significance,cultural value,fostering partnerships,rural revitalization and biodiversity conservation associated with the agricultural heritage systems etc.Thus,the cooperation between China,Japan and Korea and the perspectives they have will contribute to proposals for improvements to the FAO designation criteria for GIAHS.These will be comprehensively applicable to both developing and developed countries.