Japan’s food self-sufficiency ratio fell to 37% for the fiscal year ended March 31, down 1 percentage point from a ‌year earlier and well below the government’s ⁠45% target for ⁠fiscal 2030, the agriculture ministry said on Friday.

The ratio, among the ⁠lowest of developed economies, underscores Japan’s vulnerability to food supply disruptions amid heightened geopolitical tensions, including the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war ‌and the ⁠Middle East conflict.

The calorie-based ratio, which ​measures the share of food consumed that is produced domestically, slipped as rice consumption declined and private-sector stockpiles increased, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said.

The ratio has remained below 40% for more than a decade despite government efforts to boost domestic production of heavily imported crops such as wheat and soybeans.

Australia, Canada, ⁠France and ​the ​U.S. have self-sufficiency ratios above ‌100%, whereas Germany’s ratio stood at 81%, Britain’s at 56% ‌and Italy’s at 51% in 2023, according to ministry estimates ​based on the latest available data.

Japan’s self-sufficiency rate measured by production value rose 2 percentage points ⁠to 66% in the last fiscal year, helped by higher domestic prices for rice ⁠and livestock products.

The farm sector continues to face structural challenges, including an ageing workforce, a lack of successors and shrinking farmland. Dietary shifts away from rice toward meat and foods cooked with oil have also weighed on the self-sufficiency ratio.

To achieve its 45% goal, Japan plans to expand farmland for wheat and soybeans, for which it remains ⁠heavily dependent ​on imports, said Toshiaki Sasaki, planning director at the ministry’s food security office.

The ministry will review ‌progress toward the fiscal 2030 target later ​this ​month and consider additional measures as needed, Sasaki said.