Crop Diversification in the Asia-Pacific region - United Nations in ...

household and national levels for some years after the Second World War. Improvement ofcultivation techniques and adoption of improved cultivars, together with supportivegovernmental policies, allowed Japan to meet its rice supply needs. Changes in life style andsocial structure, driven by drastic economic growth, resulted in a reduction in riceconsumption in the mid-1960’s. Average consumption of rice declined from 115 kg in 1960to 95 kg in 1970 and to 66.7 kg in 1997. Table 2 shows changes over time in the relativeimportance of crops and livestock (including milk production). Rice, wheat, pulses, andsericulture have declined, while vegetables, fruits, flowers and livestock have increased inrelative importance in the farm economy.Table 2. Change of Relative Importance (%) of Agricultural ProductsBased on Farm-Gate ValueYear Rice Wheat Pulses Roots &Tubers196047.45.52.53.0Vegetables Fruits Flowers Sericulture Livestock9.1 6.0 0.5 3.0 15.2197038.30.60.81.416.27.10.91.625.9198032.91.90.91.718.18.12.00.727.2199030.11.10.82.321.98.53.80.225.2199728.11.10.82.122.98.64.50.026.24. CROP DIVERSIFICATION AS A STRATEGY4.1 Use and Consumer DemandsCrop diversification takes places not only for production reasons but also, often moreimportantly, for use and consumption demands. The drastic increase in annual income wasaccompanied by demand for diversification of diet by consuming more vegetables and fruits,as well as increased demand for ornamental plants and higher quality products. Thetransition to modern lifestyles influenced the status of nutritional quality. Figure 3 shows thechange of nutritional uptake in terms of sources of calories. The increasing consumption offat is evident and it has already passed the upper limit (25 percent) for a desirable diet for aJapanese. The average Japanese now spends 25 percent of total food expenditures on eatingoutand processed foods. The importance of better education of the general public onnutrition concerns is recognized. Development of nutritional products attractive to the younggeneration is important and crop diversification efforts should be in line with this.4.2 Multi-Functionality of AgricultureThe traditional role of agriculture is the production of food. The social recognition ofthe role of agriculture has expanded to the multiple function of agriculture. A cropdiversification strategy should be in line with this view of multi-functionality. This meansthat food production should not be the only concern or objective of crop diversificationefforts. For example, paddy fields should be well conserved not only for food productionreasons but also for their ecological and social value. Cultivation of crops such as wheat and54