Satoko Adachi – Brussels
Mitsuo Murakami, vice president of the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu), criticized a government panel’s agricultural reform proposal, saying that it is aimed at splitting up the Japanese agricultural co-operatives group.
Speaking at the International Co-operative Alliance’s board meeting held in Brussels on Thursday, June 5 and Friday, June 6, Murakami stressed that the Regulatory Reform Council’s proposal, which includes stripping JA-Zenchu of its authority to supervise primary farm co-ops, is an attack towards the whole co-operative movement and asked for support by the ICA. Board members present at the meeting pledged to cooperate.
Murakami noted co-operatives are autonomous organizations aimed at responding to the needs of their members, and questioned the validity of a third party forcing them to adopt principles, businesses and management which differ from their own.
Organizations such as Japan Joint Committee of Co-operatives are campaigning against the proposal, he explained, asking the ICA to convey the situation in Japan to cooperatives worldwide.
ICA President Pauline Green said in the meeting it is necessary to issue a statement which strongly condemns moves aimed at weakening agricultural co-operatives and the co-operative movement. Co-operatives Europe President Dirk Lehnhoff agreed and offered to give full support to the JA group’s activities.
A representative of a French co-operative bank suggested sending a team of experts to Japan to grasp the situation regarding the JA group, adding that the ICA should make efforts to increase its global presence by discussing the significance of co-operative movement also in the meeting of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.
(June 8, 2014)