"It [government support] is practically non-existent," Sawanobori said. "The situation is very difficult after the government set up the labelling system in the spring, without any back up."
A spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said it was trying to help farmers as a whole, rather than favoring organic producers.
"Our point of view is that food produced with agricultural chemicals is perfectly safe," said Kiyoshi Fujimoto of the ministry. "But there seems to be a demand [among consumers] for something beyond safety, a kind of trust."
Many conventional farmers are intimidated by the prospect of learning a completely new method of production, he said.
"There is great unease on the production side about organic farming," he said.
"Until now, farmers knew exactly how big a harvest they could expect using a given method and a given amount of chemicals."
Daunted by the expense of Japanese organic foods, some retailers are turning to cheaper imports to satisfy demand.
An affiliate of rail company East Japan Railway Co caused a stir in July when it began selling boxed lunches containing organic rice imported from the US.
Major convenience store chain Lawson is planning to use organic vegetables grown on its own farms in China in all its prepared foods beginning next spring.
A company spokesman said it was not yet clear if the produce would receive Japanese organic certification.
At present, Japan only recognizes the certification of EU countries, Australia and New Zealand. Gaining recognition for products from other countries is a lengthy process, because a certifier must be sent from Japan to inspect each farm.
The idea of turning to foreign producers for staple foods is as unpopular in some organic circles as among other farmers.
Sawanobori said inexpensive imports from China and other Asian countries may be good for the consumer in the short term, but may cause enormous damage to the nation's own agricultural sector.
"Plus, when the Chinese start wanting to eat their own healthy food, supplies to Japan will dry up, creating a food security problem," she said.
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