Gov't warns low food self-sufficiency, global shortages may lead to drastic diet changes
Japanese could face a future eating only rice and potatoes with no meat because of growing global food shortages and an alarmingly low rate of food self-sufficiency, a government report said Friday. About 60% of food consumed in Japan is imported from countries such as the United States, China, Australia and Canada. If the global food crisis intensifies and results in a lower availability of food imports, Japanese would see a dramatic shift in their diets, the Agriculture Ministry white paper warned.