Tag Archives: Editorial

  The Cabinet is expected to approve the bill to revise the Agricultural Co-operative Society Law on Friday, April 3. The Diet is likely to start full-scale deliberations on the bill after the unified local elections. Although the bill has gone through preliminary review, doubts and concerns over it remain. Members of the Diet, who represent the Japanese people, must conduct constructive debate which will lead to an increase in income of farmers – the main player of agricultural co-ops – and a better rural farming and society. The basic outline of agricultural co-ops reform, approved by the government’s headquarters for agricultural revitalization in February, became a bill after being … Continue reading →

  The Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu) will start full-scale discussions on the JA group’s self-reform plan based on the government and ruling parties’ outline for agricultural co-ops reform. The group holds its national convention once every three years, and the resolution to be adopted at this year’s convention will set the policies for the coming three years. Let us put our heads together for the future of regional agriculture and the society, and politics should support such efforts. Regarding discussions on agricultural reform, the JA group has strongly called for the need to maintain co-operatives rooted in local communities focusing on food and agriculture, in order to increase … Continue reading →

  The government’s policies concerning the agricultural co-operatives reform goes against the global trend. The international society highly evaluates and pins high hopes on the value and role of co-operatives. Some countries have enacted co-ops laws, considering that co-ops operated under the principle of mutual aid are an effective institution to solve such problems as hunger, poverty, employment and regional revitalization. It is necessary to renew public awareness and consensus on the significance and role of co-ops today before starting discussions on the revision of the Agricultural Co-operatives Society Law. International Co-operative Alliance President Pauline Green, who visited Tokyo last month, gave high marks to Japanese co-ops, saying they have … Continue reading →

  Restriction of non-farmer members’ use of agricultural co-operatives’ services has become one of the main concerns for the ongoing discussions on agricultural co-ops reform. Such restriction would weaken the overall ability of the Japan agricultural co-op group and threaten the basis of livelihood which farmers and local residents depend on. The government must keep in mind that destroying infrastructure in rural regions supported by JAs goes against its goal of revitalizing local areas. The deregulation action plan approved by the Cabinet in June last year states that the government will consider creating a rule concerning non-farmer members’ use of JAs’ services in comparison with farmer-members. JAs offer comprehensive package … Continue reading →