Hayato Niki – Quebec, Canada The International Co-operative Alliance issued a statement on Thursday, Oct. 9, criticizing the Japanese government’s move to dismantle agricultural co-ops as “counterproductive to the national economy” and violating the principles of co-operatives. The intended legislation “would diminish the services offered to the farmers and the rural areas,” it said. “In particular, the intention to transform some of the cooperative structures into stock companies through demutualization is an unsound process.” The statement was announced after the ICA board discussed Japan’s intended restructuring of agricultural co-ops on Monday, Oct. 6, in Quebec. According to the statement, the board “unanimously approved” the report by the ICA’s study … Continue reading →

  Hayato Niki – Montreal, Canada Akira Banzai, president of the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu), and JA-Zenchu Vice President Toru Nakaya agreed with officials representing some 6,000 Canadian milk producers on the importance of being self-sufficient in key agricultural items including dairy products. In a meeting held in Montreal on Tuesday, Oct. 7, JA-Zenchu officials and Bruno Letendre, Chairman of Les Producteurs de lait du Québec (PLQ) and General Manager Alain Bourbeau shared their sense of crisis over the ministerial meeting of the Trans-Pacific Partnership member countries scheduled later this month, as they call for protection of domestic farming. “Lawmakers have pledged to protect key agricultural products in … Continue reading →