Significance and limitations of "Chisan-Chisho: Local production for local consumption" under low self-sufficiency of food
2005
Nomiyama, T.(Tokyo Univ. of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu (Japan))
The Chisan-Chisho movement is an alternative local agro-food distribution in Japan. Its origin lies in regionalism. It did not spread as alternative of the wide area-mass distribution, although local distribution had been opposed since the 1970s, because there were various difficulties. The food scandals which occurred frequently after September 2001 caused a loss of consumer trust. The disposition of consumers to choose agricultural commodities produced nearby as much as possible was strongly ignited by this situation. The term and practice of Chisan-Chisho began to spread quickly from at time. Farmers' markets are one form of Chisan-Chisho. There are roles played in the management of local agricultural-and-forestry resources, a community relationship, and the regional economy in each. In recent years, competition between farmers' markets has been intensifying, and they are scaling up, while small-scale farmers' markets are decreasing in number. The limitations of Chisan-Chisho are as follows. (1) Regulation of demand and supply is difficult. (2) Assortment is difficult. (3) Dealings in all seasons are difficult. (4) Prices tend to change. As a precondition which promotes Chisan-Chisho, the state control of elemental-diet food is indispensable. Because of the many measures which used Japanese wheat in the school lunch, the consumer-price of wheat was not realized without a national food policy. On the other hand, the Japanese government deregulated the distribution of elemental-diet food, which promoted Chisan-Chisho in the school lunch at the local government level. From these things, I think that the localization of food and agriculture is required. We have to protect local food and agriculture, and it must start with conversion to a better system.
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