InsideJapan News Network

Japan is preparing for the future by purchasing areas of farmland in Africa and America, reports the Guardian.

The news provider notes that Japan is one of the countries to begin hedging its risk exposure to food shortages by investing in farmland on other continents.

Africa and South America are among these, with farming areas being bought up by Japan, South Korea, China and a number of nations in the Middle East.

Readers are told that efforts are having a knock-on effect on food prices, as increased output of staples like grain is reducing the wholesale cost of produce.

The news follows warnings from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) that climate change could have a negative effect on food production.

Head of the institute Joachim von Braun tells the Guardian that yields could drop by as much as 15 per cent by 2050, making it important for nations to invest in the future of agriculture.

The IFPRI previously noted the existence of crop insurance in Japan to protect against poor yields, including a subsidised policy to insure rice crops.

Written by Susan Ballion


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