The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) is stepping up efforts to promote decarbonization by agricultural producers and food business operators. It plans to devise a method to measure greenhouse gas emissions generated during the production stage and soon release a manual to improve the transparency of producers’ decarbonization efforts. Through this move, it will support businesses’ decarbonization efforts to reduce the environmental burden on the entire food supply chain.

MAFF launched an experts’ panel to promote the disclosure of information on decarbonization in the farm, forestry and fishery sectors in September 2020 and has since facilitated discussions on the subject. Of the greenhouse gas emissions generated in the supply chain covering production, processing, and distribution, about 70% are estimated to come from the production stage. The government will step up efforts to devise a tool that can measure emissions at the production stage, where the environmental burden is concentrated. (Abridged)