"Fusion of Agriculture and Industry"

• Executive Director, SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.

Humanity boasted an impressive degree of growth during the latter half of the 20th century. During those fifty years, the world economy expanded seven-fold, the population grew by 2.4 times, water usage increased by three times and the amount of carbon dioxide emission expanded to four times. If we were to coin a term to this age, it would be the “half-century of expansion.” As a result, the ecosystem of the earth has become distorted, making ecological destruction a common concern for all people.
Such environmental destruction has slowed the production of food, wreaking a negative impact on one of the essential pillars that sustain humanity. Moreover, due to economic growth and the increasing world population there has been a ceaseless increase in food consumption. It is not an exaggeration to say that humanity has entered an “era of shortage.” Furthermore, environmental destruction has caused pollution of air, soil and water, which combine to yield contaminated food. Securing safe and reliable food is now a pressing issue that faces humanity.
To resolve this situation, it is necessary to produce safe and reliable food efficiently while paying regard to the environment. An example of this is the application of an industrial frame of mind to the agricultural industry, to establish an institutional farming system. Through tank farming, by efficiently using water circulation to regulate the cultivation environment, it is possible to raise safe and reliable crops without using farmland. Aside from this, in face of a declining birth rate Japan is realizing the importance of rice as both a health food and a crop that is well-suited to its climate. Therefore the creation of a new rice based food production system is a major challenge. Encompassing the livestock industry and the fishing industry as well, the development of a new, industry infused “system” is what will lead us to the resolution of food problems.