Alternative agro-food movement in contemporary Japan

Nishiyama, M.; Hirata Kimura, A.

Alternative agro-food movement in contemporary Japan

2005

Nishiyama, M.(Chiba Univ. (Japan)) | Hirata Kimura, A.

This paper analyzed the emergence, transformation, and prospects of local food movements in Japan. From a historical perspective of alternative agriculture movements, Chisan-chisho is the first movement to promote the idea of "local food". The most dominant Chisan-chisho movement in Japan is government-led movement, focusing on the MAFF organized consumer education programs concerning local food. But the goal of this project is largely to widen Japan's domestic food market. We argue that this narrow goal has limited the achievements of local movements to issues of local food safety and security. We realize that there is an older, more discussed, local food movement in the U.S. than in Japan. U.S. researchers and activists tend to consider the concept of local as resisting trends toward globalization. They argue that the flourishing of multi-national companies threatens democracy and social justice. Therefore, they recognize that certain activities at the local level are important tools for promoting social change. Furthermore, in the U.S. they recognize that local food movements are the entry point for resolving other social problems such as environmental issues, social justice, democracy and so on. We suggest that they need to recognize their food issues as a structural problem in order to reformulate the Chisan-chisho movement in Japan. They also need to understand that the concepts of "food" and "local" are tools to gain entry to issues of social justice and democratic decision making. We expect that all Chisan-chisho participants' interests will expand from food to environment and social change, just as movements in the U.S. have experienced.

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