Burning Soil Begins to Breathe When Biomass and Farmland Turn into Energy (Late 2000s)

Burning Soil Begins to Breathe When Biomass and Farmland Turn into Energy (Late 2000s)

In the late 2000s, Japan's agricultural policy was undergoing a quiet transition. The global rise in grain prices and oil prices in 2007-2008 exposed this weakness in a single stroke. In particular, international prices for corn, wheat, and soybeans jumped, and the prices of compound feed and fertilizers soared in tandem, shaking the operations of livestock and dairy farmers to the core.

At the same time, abandoned farmland in Japan continued to increase year by year. Land that was unprofitable for farming and too good to be left to fall into disrepair as it was was becoming covered with weeds in many areas. What emerged was the idea of utilizing farmland for multiple purposes, including not only food, but also energy and animal feed.

The policy of utilizing farmland to promote biomass self-sufficiency discussed in this context has three broad aims. First, to increase the number of energy and feed crops in Japan and reduce dependence on fossil fuels and imported grains. Second, to increase farmers' sources of income through crops and build their business base. Third, to circulate the production and use of biomass within the region and build a circular model for the local economy.

In Japan, however, the direction taken is to utilize fallow lands and avoid competition with food. The biomass self-sufficiency policy was a gamble for farmland and farming villages to survive in the 21st century, and farmland was being redefined as a node to reconnect the circulation of materials and energy.