Deep Roots

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The essential role of family farming

and agricultural cooperatives in Japan

Akira Banzai, President, Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives (JA-ZENCHU)

apan is located in the Asian monsoon region

where people consume rice as the basic food-

stuff, and small-scale family farmers have built

the foundation of Japanese agriculture by helping and

cooperating with each other. Rice growing would be

by no means viable without proper water utilization

and conservation, and it has been well-managed and

become sustainable only by all stakeholders working

together. This is why “agriculture is the foundation of

our country,” and Japan has been called ‘Mizuho No

Kuni’, which means ‘the land of abundant rice’. Based

on the ground ploughed by our forerunners’ cooperative

efforts for thousands of years, our present day coopera-

tives have achieved remarkable success.

Family farming is an integral part of local communities.

According to the latest statistics from Japan’s Ministry of

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the total number of

agriculture management entities is 1,471,200, of which

18,800 are under corporation management.

Although

there have been various structural changes over time, with

a significant increase in the number of corporation manage-

ment entities as the total number of entities continue to

decrease, it is important to recognize that the vast major-

ity of farming is operated by families as the mainstream of

farming in Japan.

With over 70 per cent of the total number of manage-

ment entities – largely comprised of rice farmers – gaining

more from off-farm income, a 2013 report by the Food and

Agriculture Organization (FAO) pointed out the impor-

tance of off-farm activities as a way of providing additional

income and diversifying risk.

These contributions to the

stabilization and development of local economies and socie-

ties should not be underestimated.

In fact, family farmers have been playing significant

roles in a number of areas from maintaining local cultures

and traditions which form the basis of a local society, to

preventing crime and disasters which are important for local

JA members and staff work together to meet the standards demanded by

consumers and reach new markets

The JA Farmers Market provides a unique opportunity to secure incomes for

small-scale farmers

Image: The Japan Agricultural News

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