A network of strong cooperative movement has shown Japan the way to protect its small farmers in the era of liberalisation and globalisation of trade.

Japan’s farm cooperatives — JA — has its presence in every counties and municipalities. The apex organisation, Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives — JA Zenchu — in collaboration with 47 prefectural unions of farm cooperatives guides the network of local village-level cooperatives which are engaged in extending credit, mutual insurance business, supplying inputs and marketing farm produces.

Another body, the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives — JA Zennoh — collects orders from farmers for supply of inputs and bargains with companies concerned for reducing the prices of inputs to be sold to farmers. JA Zennoh also markets farmers’produces through local cooperatives. A number of local cooperatives manage a chain of supermarkets and gas stations for member families and local people.

The vibrant network of cooperatives has protected the farmers — a concept which India needs to emulate. India, though comparable with Japan in predominance of small and marginal farmers, has not made much headway in putting in place a vibrant cooperative movement for the benefit of farmers. Success stories of cooperatives are only in case of select farm commodities like sugar, dairy products, tobacco, fertiliser. The role of marketing cooperative National Federation of Agricultural Marketing Cooperative is limited and highly dependent on government support.

The Japanese government supports the farm cooperatives and NGOs involved in the farm sector. But there is strict monitoring by the ministry of agriculture and forestry of the funds released to the cooperatives. “We need to support our farm sector as we have already become a net food importing country,” says JA Zenchu president Isami Miyata. “Japan started the process of liberalisation through multilateral trade negotiations 30 years back. The country’s food self-sufficiency rate gradually eroded and farm imports rose 3.5 times in the past 30 years. Today, Japan imports 60 % food to meet its needs. We are the largest food importers among the developed countries.”

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