Japanese integrated rice-duck farming (aigamo) emerged in the late 20th century as an alternative method for growing rice avoiding the standard practice of applying synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. In the current agricultural moment of de-agriculturalization and farmland abandonment in Japan, the aigamo method offers an alternative approach for farmers that promotes farmer innovation and self-sufficiency, new markets, a diversified agroecosystem, and food sovereignty. Zooming further out, the aigamo method exists in a global food economy where smallholder agriculture is increasingly overshadowed by free-trade agreements threatening foodways worldwide. By situating the aigamo method in conversation with agroecology and food sovereignty, this paper reveals how the aigamo method is a localized endeavor at addressing a global agrarian crisis. By incorporating fieldwork conducted in 2024 in Japan, this paper aims to update the English literature on aigamo today and present it alongside the Japanese food sovereignty organization Nouminren.