The Institute for the Development of Agricultural Cooperation in Asia, which performs tasks related to international cooperation in the Japan Agricultural Cooperatives group, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. In a ceremony scheduled on Thursday, August 8, attendants will look back over the 50 years of its history and reaffirm its role of contributing to the global community through fostering manpower. In the era of globalization, cooperatives’ principles of mutual support, and coexistence and mutual prosperity, are of universal value. We hope IDACA will make the 50th anniversary an opportunity for further development.
The institute was established on July 8, 1963, following the resolution adopted by the first Asian Agricultural Cooperative Conference held the previous year under the sponsorship of the Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Japan (JA Zenchu). At the conference, participants agreed to implement cooperative projects to extend training, research and development services to cooperative associations throughout Asia. The JA group has worked on fostering manpower and nurturing agricultural cooperatives in developing countries ever since.
The institute’s first president was Yasushi Hasumi, then JA Zenchu president. Looking at the conditions of food supply and agriculture in Asia’s emerging economies after the war, Hasumi led the efforts to establish the institute, thinking that Japanese agricultural cooperatives should contribute to nurturing manpower to promote agricultural cooperatives in such nations. The institute building in Machida, Tokyo, was named Hasumi Memorial Hall to honor him for his insight, judgment and leadership.
A noteworthy fact is that at the time of establishment, the institute received financial contributions from JAs nationwide as well as assistance from the Japanese government. There is no doubt that IDACA was established and has been operated by the funds from farmers nationwide.
In the 50 years, the institute has received 5,870 trainees from developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. JAs nationwide have cooperated by offering on-site study visits and exchange programs, contributing to the institute’s achievements.
The trainees, upon returning to their own countries, have played an active role in agricultural cooperatives as executives, and some have become top officials of the government, such as ministers and vice ministers. IDACA has been conducting follow-up surveys to interview ex-trainees, and most of them speak of training and on-site visits as an enjoyable and memorable experience.
IDACA is highly evaluated by cooperatives worldwide as a prominent educational institution. It is reassuring to have people who have a good understanding of Japanese agriculture and agricultural cooperatives as agricultural leaders in developing countries. It is a valuable human network for the JA group, which should be cherished and strengthened.
Neoliberalism based on the principle of free market competition creates a world where the strong victimizes the weak, which is incompatible with the coexistence of various forms of agriculture. Now is the time for cooperatives to prove its worth. We hope IDACA will again recognize its role and mission and make a new step forward in the coming half-century. It would be good to ask for support from the JA group’s retirees who have a wealth of knowledge and experience. We expect much of IDACA to implement training and exchange programs for people working in cooperatives that meet the needs of the times.
(Aug. 8, 2013)