MIDORI Strategy and ASEAN–Japan Climate-Smart Agriculture

Challenge

Japan and ASEAN must secure stable food supplies while reducing environmental impacts from agriculture under climate change.

Solution

The MIDORI strategy and ASEAN-Japan cooperation promote climate-smart agriculture, food waste reduction, and renewable energy to build resilient, low-impact food systems.

Overview

The MIDORI Strategy for Sustainable Food Systems, formulated by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 2021, sets a long-term vision, targets for 2050, and concrete measures to make food systems more sustainable. The strategy aims to reduce environmental impacts across all stages of the food chain, from production to consumption, while maintaining a stable food supply.

MIDORI covers measures such as promoting environmentally friendly agriculture, reducing food loss and waste, and expanding renewable energy use. The Midori Act, enacted in 2022, provides the legal foundation for implementing the strategy. It establishes support mechanisms for initiatives that improve environmental performance in agriculture, encourage more efficient use of resources, and support energy transition in the food sector.

The ASEAN-Japan MIDORI Cooperation Plan, adopted in 2023 at the ASEAN-Japan Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry meeting, extended this approach beyond Japan. The plan seeks to strengthen collaboration between Japan and ASEAN Member States on stable food supply and environmental conservation. It includes support for disseminating environmentally friendly agricultural technologies and cooperation along food supply chains at the regional level.

Addressing climate change through mitigation and adaptation

MIDORI and the ASEAN-Japan MIDORI Cooperation Plan address greenhouse gas mitigation and climate change adaptation within food systems.

On mitigation, the strategy promotes the use of renewable energy in agriculture and food supply chains, efforts to increase carbon sequestration in agriculture and forestry, and reductions in food loss and waste. One policy instrument in this area is the J-Credit Scheme, a government-backed program that certifies greenhouse gas emission reductions achieved through renewable energy use and carbon absorption from sustainable forest management. Certified credits can be traded or used to offset emissions.

On adaptation, the strategy supports the development of climate-resilient agricultural varieties, including crops with improved tolerance to high temperatures, drought, pests, and diseases. It also encourages investment in irrigation infrastructure, such as water-saving irrigation technologies and rainwater harvesting facilities. The strategy promotes climate-smart agricultural practices through guidance on crop choices and cultivation methods informed by weather forecasts, as well as support for integrated pest management based on early pest outbreak predictions.

Implementation progress and future directions

The Midori Strategy leadership has held 15 meetings to review implementation progress in Japan. Reports from these meetings point to advances in areas such as environmentally friendly agricultural practices and reduced food waste. At the same time, limited availability of advanced technologies and delays in infrastructure development constrain the expanded use of renewable energy and adaptation to climate change impacts.

At the 15th meeting in December 2024, participants discussed future directions based on observed outcomes and remaining issues. The meeting highlighted three priorities.

1. Accelerating innovation is a central focus. This includes promoting climate-smart agriculture through the use of advanced technologies, such as artificial intellgence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), and supporting the development of new crop varieties using genome editing techniques.
2. Strengthening collaboration among stakeholders is emphasized. Producers, consumers, businesses, and government agencies are expected to work together through coordinated initiatives. Partnerships with international organizations and NGOs are also encouraged.
3. Efforts to achieve targets are being reinforced. Progress management is being strengthened through the establishment and monitoring of key performance indicators, and securing financial resources is treated as a central requirement for continued implementation.

These directions aim to maintain momentum in implementing MIDORI and the ASEAN-Japan MIDORI Cooperation Plan. Together, these efforts support more sustainable and climate-responsive food systems in Japan and across the wider Asia-Pacific region.

Acknowledgements

This article is based on publicly available information from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan.

Related information

• Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). MIDORI Strategy for Sustainable Food Systems. https://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/env/env_policy/midori.html