Melinda Joe in a special to the Japan Times writes about peculiar problems facing Japan's agricultural industry. For the record, Jusco and other stores in the Aeon Group have been proactive in improving the dire situation spelled-out below. Let us know what you think of the story!

[Via the Japan Times] "An aging agricultural workforce, a food self-sufficiency rate below 40 percent and the constant threat of environmental damage: How can tiny vegetable distribution companies in Chiba Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, tackle the issues facing Japan's farming industry? The answer, according to Setsuo Nakagoshi, is one organic tomato at a time."

Did you know?: "Approximately 40 percent of total vegetable production (in Japan) is wasted due to irregular shape or size. This amounts to roughly five million tons of produce. Take cucumbers for example. They have a special box for them and if your cucumber is too big or too small, it is classified as irregular and priced low. Of course, if it isn't straight enough, it's considered irregular as well. Some of these "irregular" vegetables are simply thrown away. It's a serious problem! During a warehouse tour, boxes piled high with broccol were thrown out because of their size: The diameter of each was five centimeters too wide."

Click here for the rest of the story!

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