FFTC Agricultural Policy Platform (FFTC-AP)

The government plans to launch an initiative in which agricultural products grown using methods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will be labeled under a three-star rating system when they are sold.

The initiative is intended to raise awareness among consumers by visualizing efforts for decarbonization by agricultural producers. It also aims to differentiate such products from conventional ones and accelerate the efforts among producers.

According to the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry, 23% of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, or 12 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent a year, derive from the agriculture and forestry industries.

In recent years, the European Union and the United States have worked out new strategies to reduce gas emissions with a focus placed on the production of environmentally friendly food.

Under a system to be established by the farm ministry, agricultural produce will be rated depending on the reduction rate of greenhouse gases emitted in the products’ production process, with one star given for cuts of 5%-10%; two stars for 10%-20%; and three stars for 20% or more. Star images will be displayed on price tags, flyers other materials. The decarbonization efforts by producers will be shown by data and displayed with star images in order to raise public awareness

Read more here.