Japan¡¯s food self-sufficiency ratio fell to ?37% for the fiscal year ended March 31, down 1 percentage point from a year earlier and well below the government¡¯s 45% target for fiscal 2030, the agriculture ministry said on Friday.

The ?ratio, among the lowest of developed economies, underscores ?Japan¡¯s vulnerability ?to food supply disruptions amid heightened geopolitical ?tensions, including the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war and the Middle East conflict.

The calorie-based ratio, which measures the share of food consumed ?that is produced domestically, slipped as rice consumption declined and private-sector ?stockpiles increased, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said.

The ratio has remained below 40% for ?more than a decade despite ?government efforts to boost domestic production of heavily imported crops such as wheat ?and soybeans.

Australia, Canada, ?France and the U.S. have self-sufficiency ratios ?above 100%, whereas Germany¡¯s ratio stood at 81%, Britain¡¯s ?at ?56% and Italy¡¯s at 51% in 2023, according to ministry estimates based on the latest available data.

Japan¡¯s self-sufficiency rate measured by production value rose 2 percentage points ?to 66% in the last fiscal year, helped by higher domestic prices for rice and livestock products.

The farm sector continues to face structural challenges, including an aging workforce, a ?lack ?of successors and shrinking farmland. Dietary shifts away ?from rice toward meat and foods cooked with oil have ?also weighed on the self-sufficiency ratio.

To achieve its 45% goal, Japan plans to expand farmland for wheat and soybeans, for which it remains heavily dependent on imports, said ?Toshiaki Sasaki, planning director at the ministry¡¯s food security office.

The ministry will review progress toward the fiscal 2030 target later this month and consider additional measures as needed, Sasaki said.