MAFF Revises Organic Agriculture Policy, Sets 3,280 Billion Yen 2030 Target

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) has revised the “Basic Policy on the Promotion of Organic Agriculture” based on Article 6, Paragraph 1 of the Act on the Promotion of Organic Agriculture (Act No. 112 of 2006), and published it in the Official Gazette (Government Reports) dated September 28, 2026, based on Paragraph 4 of the same article. In the published document, under the name of Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Kazuo Yana, it is explicitly stated that the domestic demand for organic food is projected to be 328 billion yen and the export of organic food from Japan is projected to be 21 billion yen by 2030 (Reiwa 12). This content directly affects organic farmers, distribution and processing operators, and export-related parties.

The Basic Policy is positioned as the “foundation” for implementing various measures comprehensively and systematically based on the Organic Agriculture Promotion Act, and has been modified in light of recent domestic and international circumstances. The background includes the 2021 (Reiwa 3) Strategy for Sustainable Food Systems (Meidori Strategy) (which sets a goal to expand the proportion of organic farming area relative to total cultivated land to 25%, or 1 million hectares, by 2050), the enactment of the Act on the Promotion of Sustainable Food Systems (Act No. 37 of 2022) in 2022 (Reiwa 4), and the positioning of the basic principle of “establishment of a food system in harmony with the environment” through the 2024 (Reiwa 6) amendment of the Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas Basic Act (Act No. 106 of 1999). In June 2026 (Reiwa 8), the Meidori Acceleration GX Plan was decided, and “the areal expansion of organic agriculture capable of competing globally” was listed as one of the measures to be intensively pursued by 2030.

Demand and Export Outlook: Progress Exceeds Projections

• The estimated value of the domestic organic food market has expanded from 185 billion yen as of 2017 (Heisei 29) to 359.5 (276.6) billion yen as of 2025 (Reiwa 7) (adjusted by the Consumer Price Index for food).
• The estimated value of exports utilizing mechanisms such as organic equivalence has increased from 17.5 billion yen in 2017 to 26.5 billion yen in 2025, growing at a pace that exceeds projections due to the expansion of tea exports and other factors.
• The 2030 export projection of 21 billion yen was set based on these actual results.

Target of 84% Domestic Share and 25% Consumer Usage Rate

The government, in collaboration with local governments and with the cooperation of farmers, businesses, and other stakeholders, aims to expand the production of organic agriculture and increase the domestic share. To this end, the policy goal is to increase the domestic share of the organic food market to 84% by 2030 (Reiwa 12). However, estimated domestic share has declined from approximately 60% in 2017 to approximately 53% as of 2024; while the certified volume of domestic organic agricultural products is on an upward trend, it is presumed that the market is expanding at a faster pace than the expansion of production. Regarding consumption, a target has been set to increase the proportion of consumers who use organic foods once a week or more to 25% by 2030.

Measures Aiming for a Virtuous Cycle of Strengthening Supply Capacity and Expanding Demand

The policy calls for coordination across the stages of production/procurement, distribution/processing, and consumption to enable the stable, wide-area supply of organic foods at low cost, addressing challenges such as high costs and supply instability. Specifically, the following initiatives will be promoted:

• Cultivation and strengthening of production areas, promotion of new entries and conversion from conventional agriculture, improvement of productivity through technical development and dissemination, and streamlining of distribution.
• Expansion of demand by promoting the significance and characteristics of organic agriculture, diversifying sales channels, supplying products that meet consumer needs, and promoting utilization within government agencies and other institutions.
• Construction of networks for technical development and dissemination, and creating an environment where the Organic JAS system is easy to utilize.
• Regarding Organic Villages, where entire communities work consistently from production to consumption, 154 municipalities have participated between the start of the initiative in 2022 and December 2025.

The policy also requests that, considering that organic agriculture has been supported by the voluntary activities of farmers and other stakeholders and implemented in various forms according to local conditions, the actual situation of the region and the intentions of stakeholders be respected, and that various initiatives be carried out based on mutual understanding with those practicing conventional agriculture. Internationally, there are movements aiming for the compatibility of economy and environment, such as the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy. The promotion of organic agriculture is positioned as contributing to food security, the achievement of SDGs, dietary education, securing successors, and the development of distinctive agriculture in hilly and mountainous areas.

For organic farmers, support for conversion and production expansion, as well as the improvement of the environment for utilizing Organic JAS, will be prerequisites for future policy implementation. For distribution and processing operators, wide-area supply and the streamlining of distribution will be key. For those involved in exports, a framework for expanding exports utilizing organic equivalence will be essential. With the domestic share on a downward trend, the status of achievement toward the 2030 goals will be the focus of future policy decisions.

Source: Official Gazette (September 28, Reiwa 8) Government Report “Regarding the Publication of the Basic Policy for the Promotion of Organic Agriculture,” Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Kazuo Yana), Article 6 of the Act on the Promotion of Organic Agriculture (Act No. 112 of 2006).