What is a "Fair Price for Rice" that Balances Production and Consumption? 6 Co-op Groups Representing 3.25 Million Households Hold a Study Session
Six Co-op groups in Japan held a joint study session in Tokyo to discuss the soaring price of rice and sustainable agriculture, with participants including producers, consumers, and government officials.
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Six consumer cooperative groups operating domestically held a joint study session on the rice price issue in Minato-ku, Tokyo, on Thursday, April 11, 2026. Research institutions, the government, producers, and consumers analyzed the current situation from their respective standpoints and discussed the current status, challenges, and ideal future of agriculture.
Rice Price Hikes Hit Low-Income Earners the Hardest
The study session was attended by approximately 620 people, including producers, consumers, and Co-op representatives, with some joining online. A keynote speech was delivered by Professor Takumi Sakuyama of the School of Agriculture at Meiji University, followed by an explanation of rice policies by the Crop Production Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), as well as current status reports and expressions of opinion from rice producers and consumer representatives.
In his keynote speech titled "How to Achieve a Fair Price?", Professor Sakuyama explained the transitions in agricultural policies in recent years and the factors behind the soaring rice prices. Regarding the declining food self-sufficiency rate over the past 40 years, Professor Sakuyama pointed out that while production volume is decreasing, the decline in consumption due to a declining birthrate and aging population is also having an impact. He said, "The main cause is the decrease in the consumption of rice and fish due to dietary changes, and this change in consumer behavior is pushing down the self-sufficiency rate."
The soaring rice prices since 2024 were triggered by a decline in production due to abnormal weather and an increase in demand resulting from soaring wheat prices caused by the situation in Ukraine. Rice, which is cheaper than processed wheat products like noodles and bread, is purchased in larger quantities by those with lower incomes, meaning that the daily lives of low-income earners are taking an even harder hit. Professor Sakuyama expressed concern, saying, "If the current rice policy continues, consumption will drop due to price hikes, leading to a 'negative spiral' where production is reduced to adjust prices."
MAFF mainly explained the new paddy field policies scheduled for fiscal 2027. To maintain and improve production volume amid a decreasing number of producers, they introduced policy pillars for improving productivity, such as grasping highly accurate supply and demand information, a private stockpiling system, scaling up, and developing high-yield varieties.
An Opportunity to Reflect on the Relationship Between Production and Consumption
In the second half, three producers and six consumer representatives from the Co-op groups spoke from their respective perspectives. Producers raised issues such as, "Securing successors is more of a problem than prices. It's family farming that actually supports agriculture," "We cannot forgive policies that increase rice imports after we protected paddy fields even by changing crops," "Feed rice is also effective in fulfilling the role of paddy fields in protecting against flood damage," and "Agriculture is also a business, and without profit, we cannot reproduce."
From the consumers, while introducing the activities of each Co-op group, opinions were shared such as, "The soaring rice prices made us think about what a sustainable price looks like for both those who make it and those who eat it," "We will accumulate small actions to protect paddy fields, rural landscapes, and livelihoods," and "Let's weave the future from our daily meals so that we can eat delicious rice even 10 years from now."
The study session was jointly held by 6 groups: Seikatsu Club Consumers' Co-operative Union, Tohto Co-op, Consumers' Co-operative Union Co-op Shizenha / Orange Co-op Business Union, Consumers' Co-operative Union I-Choice, Green Co-op Consumers' Co-operative Union, and Pal System Consumers' Co-operative Union.
The six organizing Co-op groups have a total of 3.25 million member households, each playing a role in connecting production and consumption through direct-from-farm activities. Going forward, they will consider summarizing ideal sustainable agriculture as a joint policy proposal and submitting requests to the government.
Overview of Organizing Entities
Seikatsu Club Consumers' Co-operative Union
Location: 6-24-20 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, President: Shoichi Murakami
Group Total Business Volume: 100.3 billion yen / Total Members: 420,000 (As of end of March 2025)
Areas of Activity: 21 Prefectures (Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Yamagata, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Yamanashi, Nagano, Shizuoka, Aichi, Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara)
HP: https://seikatsuclub.coop/
Tohto Co-op
Location: 6F, 1-7-5 Sekido, Tama City, Tokyo, President: Yoshiharu Kazama
Total Business Volume: 33.65 billion yen / Total Members: 262,000 (As of end of March 2025)
Areas of Activity: 4 Prefectures (Tokyo, and parts of Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa)
HP: https://www.tohto-coop.or.jp
Consumers' Co-operative Union Co-op Shizenha / Orange Co-op Business Union
Location: 3-8-5 Mitsugaoka, Nishi-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo, President: Chikako Tatsumi
Group Total Business Volume: 28.8 billion yen / Total Members: 220,000 (As of end of March 2025)
Area of Activity: 10
Rice Price Hikes Hit Low-Income Earners the Hardest
The study session was attended by approximately 620 people, including producers, consumers, and Co-op representatives, with some joining online. A keynote speech was delivered by Professor Takumi Sakuyama of the School of Agriculture at Meiji University, followed by an explanation of rice policies by the Crop Production Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), as well as current status reports and expressions of opinion from rice producers and consumer representatives.
In his keynote speech titled "How to Achieve a Fair Price?", Professor Sakuyama explained the transitions in agricultural policies in recent years and the factors behind the soaring rice prices. Regarding the declining food self-sufficiency rate over the past 40 years, Professor Sakuyama pointed out that while production volume is decreasing, the decline in consumption due to a declining birthrate and aging population is also having an impact. He said, "The main cause is the decrease in the consumption of rice and fish due to dietary changes, and this change in consumer behavior is pushing down the self-sufficiency rate."
The soaring rice prices since 2024 were triggered by a decline in production due to abnormal weather and an increase in demand resulting from soaring wheat prices caused by the situation in Ukraine. Rice, which is cheaper than processed wheat products like noodles and bread, is purchased in larger quantities by those with lower incomes, meaning that the daily lives of low-income earners are taking an even harder hit. Professor Sakuyama expressed concern, saying, "If the current rice policy continues, consumption will drop due to price hikes, leading to a 'negative spiral' where production is reduced to adjust prices."
MAFF mainly explained the new paddy field policies scheduled for fiscal 2027. To maintain and improve production volume amid a decreasing number of producers, they introduced policy pillars for improving productivity, such as grasping highly accurate supply and demand information, a private stockpiling system, scaling up, and developing high-yield varieties.
An Opportunity to Reflect on the Relationship Between Production and Consumption
In the second half, three producers and six consumer representatives from the Co-op groups spoke from their respective perspectives. Producers raised issues such as, "Securing successors is more of a problem than prices. It's family farming that actually supports agriculture," "We cannot forgive policies that increase rice imports after we protected paddy fields even by changing crops," "Feed rice is also effective in fulfilling the role of paddy fields in protecting against flood damage," and "Agriculture is also a business, and without profit, we cannot reproduce."
From the consumers, while introducing the activities of each Co-op group, opinions were shared such as, "The soaring rice prices made us think about what a sustainable price looks like for both those who make it and those who eat it," "We will accumulate small actions to protect paddy fields, rural landscapes, and livelihoods," and "Let's weave the future from our daily meals so that we can eat delicious rice even 10 years from now."
The study session was jointly held by 6 groups: Seikatsu Club Consumers' Co-operative Union, Tohto Co-op, Consumers' Co-operative Union Co-op Shizenha / Orange Co-op Business Union, Consumers' Co-operative Union I-Choice, Green Co-op Consumers' Co-operative Union, and Pal System Consumers' Co-operative Union.
The six organizing Co-op groups have a total of 3.25 million member households, each playing a role in connecting production and consumption through direct-from-farm activities. Going forward, they will consider summarizing ideal sustainable agriculture as a joint policy proposal and submitting requests to the government.
Overview of Organizing Entities
Seikatsu Club Consumers' Co-operative Union
Location: 6-24-20 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, President: Shoichi Murakami
Group Total Business Volume: 100.3 billion yen / Total Members: 420,000 (As of end of March 2025)
Areas of Activity: 21 Prefectures (Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Yamagata, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Yamanashi, Nagano, Shizuoka, Aichi, Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara)
HP: https://seikatsuclub.coop/
Tohto Co-op
Location: 6F, 1-7-5 Sekido, Tama City, Tokyo, President: Yoshiharu Kazama
Total Business Volume: 33.65 billion yen / Total Members: 262,000 (As of end of March 2025)
Areas of Activity: 4 Prefectures (Tokyo, and parts of Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa)
HP: https://www.tohto-coop.or.jp
Consumers' Co-operative Union Co-op Shizenha / Orange Co-op Business Union
Location: 3-8-5 Mitsugaoka, Nishi-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo, President: Chikako Tatsumi
Group Total Business Volume: 28.8 billion yen / Total Members: 220,000 (As of end of March 2025)
Area of Activity: 10