Organic Farming Day
Industry DaysWhat Is Organic Farming Day?
December 8th is "Organic Farming Day" in Japan. It marks December 8, 2006, when the Act on Promotion of Organic Agriculture passed the Diet, and it was designated in 2016 on the law's tenth anniversary. It was established by the Kansai Regional Network of the "We Want to Change Farming!" National Movement, a body made up of groups working to spread organic agriculture.
A Law That Began as a Citizens' Draft
The organic agriculture law has an unusual history: it was drafted privately as citizen-initiated legislation and then taken up in the Diet in 2006 as a member's bill.
- Origin of the date: the law passed on December 8, 2006
- Established by: the Kansai Regional Network of the "We Want to Change Farming!" National Movement, based in Kobe
- Purpose: to promote safe organic farming in harmony with nature, community-wide and alongside government
- Since then: as of December 2021 the day is carried on by the general incorporated association Jidai no No to Shoku wo Tsukuru Kai
Do You Know How Organic Farming Is Defined?
Organic farming means agriculture that uses no chemically synthesized fertilizers or pesticides and no genetically modified technology. Also called organic cultivation, it uses production methods that reduce the environmental burden as far as possible. The day is sometimes written as "Organic Day," and study sessions and photo contests are held around it.
Tips for Marking This Day
- Look for the Organic JAS mark on products at the supermarket
- Read the origin and production labels when buying food for the holidays
- Stop by a local farm stand or produce market
- Look up what the organic agriculture law actually requires
A Day to Look Past the Dinner Table
The year-end is a season of heavy grocery shopping. December 8th is a day to look one label deeper into how that food was grown.