Asian Transformations in Action - Api-fellowships.org

152 SPECIFICITIES OF GLOBALIZATIONsmall farmers in Japan and Indonesia. Thai farmers havealso adapted to globalization and formed a sustainableagriculture movement. The lessons learned by the twocountries included in this study in terms of nationalpolicies and experiences of small farmers in preservingtheir livelihood can be adapted to strengthen thesustainable agriculture movement in Thailand. Theseare:1. Market access for small farmers. The main lessonslearned from Japan concern the establishment of adirect relationship between producers and consumersand the cooperative system as the mechanism to create abetter understanding with consumers. The main lessonlearned from Indonesia regarding establishing a networkbetween producers and consumers is the concept thatthe producer is also a consumer. For example, thereis a relationship between the corn growing group anddairy farmers. Consumers are not only middle-classcity dwellers but also farmers who produce differentproducts; this can be a market space for small farmers.This concept includes the community culture of foodsecurity and the strong culture of local food and localmarkets (including retailers). These systems can beadapted to create a diversity of markets that can easilybe accessed by farmers and consumers. Thai farmers canlearn from these systems and develop their own marketspaces that will strengthen the self-reliance and freedomof Thai farmers.2. Policy monitoring on changes in the agriculturalsector and food system in Thailand. This is significantfor national self-reliance on food. This study foundthat self-reliance on food in both countries decreasedbecause of economic integration under the conceptof neoliberalism. The integration of markets andproduction processes, including intellectual propertyrights, supports transnational company more than smallfarmers. The case of palm oil for biofuel in Indonesia hascreated a shortage of cooking oil and led to a food crisisbecause it has created a conflict within the agriculturalsector about its role in producing food and its role inproducing biofuels. Decision-making about this rolerests with the business firms. The case of the corn farmersin Indonesia who were arrested under the intellectualproperty rights system reflects the neglect of farmers’rights. Policy monitoring should be implemented atboth the national and international levels.3. The establishment of relationships and the exchangeof information, knowledge, and farmer’s local wisdomthrough groups or civil society are important. Thesegroups will stimulate the movement of the agriculturalsector towards self-reliance and freedom. They will alsoimprove social values. This kind of relationship hasbeen established in some places such as the link betweenJapanese farmers and Thai farmers facilitated by theRainbow Plan Project. There is a sharing of lessonslearned on the issue of local markets. This relationshipshould be expanded and developed towards the goal offostering social justice and a peaceful society.NOTES1 Hokkaido is considered to be very different from otherparts of Japan. In the land reform program after theSecond World War, a farmer could have a maximum of12 hectares.2 The Uruguay Round, the third phase of the GATTfrom 1986-1994, extended the agreement fully to newareas such as intellectual property, services, capital andagriculture. Out of this round the WTO was born.3The teikei system is a Japanese direct distribution systemfor agricultural products. It focuses on the direct mutualrelationship between farmers and consumers.4 Sanchoku is a cooperative which provides the agriculturalproduct directly to the consumers. It is characterized bydirect transaction or direct buying routes from producers toconsumers. Sanchoku is seen as a way of guaranteeing thesafety of products for members and also the informationexchange between producers and cooperative members.REFERENCESBrookfield, Harold and Yvonne Byron. Southeast Asia’sEnvironmental Future: The Search for Sustainability. Tokyo,New York: United Nations University Press, and KualaLumpur: Oxford University Press, 1993.Consumer Co-operative Institute of Japan. “Sanchoku at theCrossroads.” CCIJ News. September 2004.Fuglie, Keith. Private Investment in Agricultural Research andInternational Technology Transfer in Asia. USA: Departmentof Agriculture, Economic Research Service United States,2001.Fukuoka, Masanobu. The One Straw Revolution. Trans. RossanaTositrakul. Bangkok: Komol Keemthong Foundation, 1987.Furusawa, Koyu. “Teikei: Partnership between Farmers andConsumers.” ILEIA Newsletter March 1994.ICCARD. “Agrarian Reform and Rural Development inIndonesia.” ICCARD Country Report 2006. .Asian Transformations in ActionThe Work of the 2006/2007 API Fellows