JA自己改革における教育文化活動の意義

Abstract

Currently, the government is enforcing the reforms on Japan Agricultural Cooperative (JA), which have already advanced as shifts to the single-purpose cooperatives, the separation of financial business, and /or the restriction on the business use of associate members. If these reforms are compelled, the advantages of JA as the multi-purpose cooperatives will be lost, and not only local farming but also local residents' lives will face difficulties. However, JA is already at a major turning point in organization and business, self-reform has become an urgent issue. The direction of self-reform is the construction of organization and business that diverse membership and community residents familiarize with JA and participate in JA. Specifically, the educational and cultural activities or the better living activities in branch area are important. For example, the following are opportunities for diverse membership and community residents to participate in JA. They are cultural activities, mutual health care, trips, farmers market and tourism, food education for the next generation, and so on. The results of these activities have already led to an increase in JA business and increase in farmers’ income.