From Japan’s rice fields to ASEAN: Insights for a sustainable farming future

by Kazuki Saito and Iris Bugayong

Rice is not just a crop—it is the backbone of economies, cultures, and food security across Asia. In Japan, a recent rice shortage has brought this reality into sharp focus. Prices have spiked, supermarket shelves are being emptied, and public concern is rising. The causes—climate-induced weather disruptions, a surge in tourism-driven demand, and speculative stockpiling. In response to the crisis, the Japanese government has begun auctioning off rice from national reserves. The situation resonates deeply with neighboring ASEAN countries, where rice plays a similarly vital role. It was in this context that policymakers, government officials, and representatives from Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) from seven ASEAN Member States gathered in Tokyo from March 17 to 19, 2025, for the ASEAN-Japan Workshop on Carbon Neutrality, Food Security, and Agricultural Innovation.

Organized by the ASEAN-Japan Centre, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, the workshop provided a platform to exchange ideas, share best practices, and promote innovations for building more resilient and sustainable agricultural systems. With agriculture being both a victim of and contributor to climate change, the discussions focused not just on food production but on transforming the region’s food systems to meet the dual challenge of ensuring food security while reducing environmental impact. Traditional rice production significantly contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions like methane. The flooded rice fields create conditions for methane-producing bacteria, and fertilizer use contributes to GHG emissions.

One of the highlights was a visit to two rice farms in Ibaraki Prefecture, about 80 kilometers from Tokyo. Japan’s agricultural sector is characterized by small farm sizes and an aging farming population, with the average age of farmers at 69 years. However, over the last 15 years, the number of rice farmers in Japan has declined by approximately 50%, while the average rice farm size has increased by around 87% (from 1.0 to 1.8 hectares). As older farmers retire and sell or rent out their land, the majority of available farmland is increasingly acquired by mid-aged and new-generation farmers. The two farmers visited presented a sharp contrast in farm size and approaches to rice production—one operating on a relatively small scale with a focus on natural circular farming, the other managing a larger, more mechanized farm with an emphasis on efficiency and innovation. Despite their differences, both represent important and complementary pathways for the future of farming.