Export value of foods made from main imported ingredients Exports of imported raw material foods that are imported from overseas and reprocessed in Japan are rapidly increasing. Looking at the value of exports over the last 10 years, the value of coffee beans has risen sixfold, while that of instant coffee stands out fivefold. These foods are also included in Japan's exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products and foods, making it difficult to see how much exports contribute to the promotion of Japan's agriculture. There is an urgent need to grasp the actual status of exports of imported food ingredients. (Kim Cheol-soo) Coffee beans 4.2 billion yen, sesame oil 7.7 billion yen The government has set an export target of 2 trillion yen for Japanese agricultural, forestry and fishery products and foods by 2025. However, in addition to agricultural and livestock products such as rice, vegetables, fruits, and meat, this includes mineral water, nutritional foods such as supplements , and imported raw material foods originating from overseas. According to Ministry of Finance trade statistics, the export value of coffee beans in 2021 reached a record high of 4.2 billion yen, up 24% from 2020. That's a 6x increase from 10 years ago. Sales of instant coffee decreased 4% year-on-year to 8.8 billion yen, a fivefold increase from 10 years ago. According to the All Japan Coffee Association, most of the coffee used in Japan is imported, with a few exceptions. The situation is similar with sesame oil. Exports in 2021 increased by 17% year-on-year to 7.7 billion yen, a record high. The export volume exceeded 10,000 tons. However, the actual situation of domestic sesame production is completely different. According to the Japan Specialty Agricultural Products Association, 40 tons of sesame was produced for oil extraction in 2020. Assuming that 20% of the weight is oil, domestic sesame oil production is limited to around 8 tons. There is a large difference from the “export performance” of 10,000 tons. Lanolin, which is produced by refining the mutton fat that adheres to wool and is used as cosmetics, is also included in food exports. The export value increased by 21% from the previous year to 2.3 billion yen, which is equivalent to the export value of domestically produced pork. Furthermore, if we include foods classified as unidentified “other prepared foods,” it is doubtful whether 20% of the export value of agricultural, forestry and fishery products and foodstuffs will lead to domestic promotion. The government is required to carefully examine the export situation of these foods, strive to disseminate information in an easy-to-understand manner, and take measures to benefit domestic production areas from exports.