環境配慮へ農薬使用半減　５０年目標―農水省新戦略

　農林水産省は５日、環境に配慮した農林水産業の推進に向け、化学農薬の使用量を２０５０年までに半減させる数値目標を柱とした新戦略の中間取りまとめ案を公表した。農薬のみに頼らない持続可能な農産物の生産体制を構築する。このほか、５０年までに農林水産業の二酸化炭素（ＣＯ２）排出をゼロとすることも盛り込んだ。
　新戦略では、病害虫に強い品種の開発のほか、毒性が弱い農薬への転換を進め、化学農薬の使用量を５０年までに現状の半分に抑えるとしている。化学肥料の使用量も同年までに現状から３０％削減する。化学農薬や肥料を利用しない有機農業の面積を同年までに１７年比４０倍超の１００万ヘクタールに増やし、有機農産物の輸出拡大につなげたい考え。（2021/03/05-08:30）

Japan's farm ministry unveiled Friday a draft of a new strategy to promote environment-friendly approaches in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries, including a goal of reducing the usage of chemical pesticides by half from the current level by 2050.
   The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry aims to create a sustainable production system for farm products that does not rely solely on the use of chemical pesticides.
   According to the draft strategy, the ministry will accelerate efforts to develop new crop varieties that are highly resistant to pests and promote the use of agrichemicals that are less toxic, in order to realize the chemical pesticide reduction goal.
   The draft also calls for reducing the use of chemical fertilizers by 30 pct from the current level by 2050.
   The ministry hopes to increase the country's exports of organic agricultural products by expanding areas for organic farming, which does not involve the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, to 1 million hectares by 2050, over 40 times the 2017 level.