Category Archives: Cooperatives

[By Tetsuro Shimizu, Director of Norinchukin Research Institute’s Basic Research Division] The recent proposals by a working group under the government’s Regulatory Reform Promotion Council are completely irrational, something that lacks understanding for the principles of joint sales and procurement which have been built up over the years by cooperatives. The proposals indicate the bargaining power could be taken away from farmers and primary agricultural coops which have organized a federation in order to gain an advantage in price negotiations. Following the conclusion of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Mexico dismantled the National Company of Popular Substistence (CONASUPO), its state trader of agricultural products, and allowed major grain marketers … Continue reading →

The Council for Promotion of Regulatory Reform, Government’s advisory panel, chaired by Hiroko Ota, a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, made an announcement on its final recommendation on Japanese agricultural reform on November 28. At the meeting of the Council, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pointed out that a number of challenges should be tackled by ZEN-NOH and other agricultural cooperative organizations in the country. With regard to ZEN-NOH (National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations) or a national business organization of agricultural cooperatives (JAs), Prime Minister Abe reiterated that it should promote self-reforms of its business system with determination of being reborn as a new organization, saying, … Continue reading →

[By Takaaki Mitsuhashi, Economic Critic] The proposals by the government’s Regulatory Reform Promotion Council released earlier this month are apparently aimed at dismantling the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (ZEN-NOH) and breaking its businesses into pieces. It is highly likely that companies such as globally dominant foreign grain traders will come to purchase ZEN-NOH’s divisions related to supplying farm production materials. Japan’s agriculture could come under the control of foreign companies and the nation’s food security could be threatened. The proposed deregulation could ruin our country. I believe China also has its eye on ZEN-NOH. The advisory panel’s proposals are irrational as they are attacking the ZEN-NOH for earning … Continue reading →