| Popis: |
Recent political debates over reform of the Japan Agricultural Cooperative (JA) resulted in an amendment of the Agricultural Cooperative Law in 2015, bringing about significant changes in organization, governance and operation of JA. Under the amended Law, a local JA has to include in its board certified farm operators or sales professionals who would know how to generate higher incomes for farmers. While JA is thus going through a time of massive reforms toward more business-oriented operations, innovative famers and local JAs have not always been in collaborative relationship but tended to alienate each other not least because of their different business orientations. A decisive factor that could make innovative farm entities distance themselves from JAs is the latterʼs meager capabilities in acquiring and deploying resources for more profitable farm business. Recognizing gaps in competence between JAs and innovative farm operators, this paper explores possibilities of constructive and synergetic relationship between the two parties for more effective acquisition and deployment of resources that allow for productive farm business. More specifically, three ideal-types of farming entities and their mode of alliance with local actors including JAs for acquisition of resources (especially information) were examined:1)those who tend to rely on existing local actors, 2) those who tend to be independent and have less reliant on existing local actors, and3)those who build networks of similar-minded farmers and work together for resource acquisition. The paper concludes with an examination of challenges facing each of the three ideal-type operations. |
