Learn About Japan > Food and Agriculture in Japan > Crops > Organic Farming in Japan

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- Organic Farming in Japan
- Early Mechanization of Agriculture
- Wet Rice Agriculture
- Transplanting Rice Seedlings
- Innovations in Fruit and Vegetable Farming
- Raising Silkworms in Japan
- Dairy Farming in Japan
- Beef Cattle in Japan
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Some farmers use Aigamo ducks to control pests and to fertilize their rice fields without the use of chemicals.
Photo Courtesy of Japan Zone.
Organic Farming in Japan
Prior to the 1950s, most agriculture in Japan was "organic" because chemical fertilizers and pesticides were not used. Human waste, called "night soil" was collected by farmers and used as fertilizer. In the 1950s, the introduction of chemical pesticides reduced insect damage and increased crop yields. By the 1970s and 1980s, consumers worried about the health effects of chemical pesticides created a market for organically grown food crops. Organic produce is often distributed through cooperatives that link farmers directly to urban consumers, but it is gradually becoming more available in urban grocery stores that specialize in natural foods.
Click on Pictures below to see farmers spraying chemical fertilizer in rice fields in the 1950s using a small machine.
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