April 5, 2026

Akahata ‘current’ column

The “Peasants’ Uprising 2026” took place across the country on March 29, with farmers parading and holding banners reading, “When farmers perish, the people starve,” and chanting in unison, “Income compensation for all farming households!”

The movement’s slogan is “Let’s protect Japan’s food and agriculture.” It aims to expand the solidarity between consumers and producers in order to ensure that domestically-produced farm products are passed on to future generations.

At the rally in Tokyo’s Aoyama Park, eight tractors, 19 light trucks, and 1,200 participants gathered.

Sugano Yoshihide, a representative of the “Peasants’ Uprising 2026” organizing committee, explained, “Over the past five years, 23% or 250,000 farmers have disappeared.” He continued, “The average age of rice farmers is 71. We only have five years left. The food supply will come to an abrupt halt.”

Suzuki Nobuhiro, a professor at the University of Tokyo Graduate School, pointed out that the recent closure of the Strait of Hormuz has increased the risk of famine for the Japanese people. He said, “Japan’s 38% food self-sufficiency rate is merely superficial. Taking into account our dependence on imported fertilizers and seeds, as well as our low energy self-sufficiency rate, the actual figure drops to just a few percent.”

“Farmers can’t make a living growing rice.” This is the current reality. Higher production costs will lead more farmers to give up farming, inevitably resulting in a “food crisis” for consumers. Now, more than ever, the government should provide income compensation for farmers in order to bridge the gap between their needs and consumers’ ability to pay. This will be the most effective way of securing farmers’ incomes, enabling consumers to buy food at affordable prices, and raising the country’s self-sufficiency rate.

Professor Suzuki said that he advocates a “starve or plant” campaign which calls on both consumers and producers to work together to create a sustainable food system.