Sustainable partnership networks for farmers

Over the weekend, we visited Kofu City in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. Kindly assisted and guided by Professor Natsuko Uchida (a faculty member of Ferris Women's University in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture) and her very hospitable parents, we learned so much from the trip, especially about how farmers can be sustainably supported for their farming and continuity, now that many farm communities in Japan are confronted with several challenges.

For one, there is the problem of aging farmers. Children of Japanese farmers also prefer non- farm types of jobs. Despite highly advanced farm mechanization and technology, many farm tasks still need human labor.

Another problem confronting farmers apart from aging and lack of succession by children is the phenomenon of declining Japanese population, with more young people delaying marriage or deciding not to have children if married. Because younger Japanese prefer to work and stay in urban areas, Japanese rural men and women have difficulty finding life partners.

Will Japanese agriculture survive these challenges and continue its high level of production?

Yamanashi Prefecture has many mountain communities. Kofu City is a valley nestled amidst mountains, with Mt. Fuji as the most famous. Kofu City is just an hour and a half from the global city of Tokyo. This accessibility is a plus factor for the city and its mountain communities. Movement of people and goods is facilitated by the efficient transport and road system within Kofu itself and from Kofu to other parts of Japan. Government, local and national, are active partners of farmers through infrastructure, technology, and transport support, among others.

Tourism is a thriving industry here. Visitors come not only to see the natural beauty of the mountains or to enjoy the many hot springs. Lately, more tourists have been coming to visit Yamanashi University to meet and/or learn more about one of the latest Nobel Prize awardees from this university!

Many local and foreign visitors come to enjoy the various products of Yamanashi- the rare horse meat, black tomatoes, and the more popular seasonal fruits, including the wine from their varied-colored grapes (green, violet, red varieties)!

Grape season just finished with the mountain types making their last appearance in public shops for this year. Apples and persimmons are now in season. Visitors also come for cherries during the first quarter of the year.

To assist farmers, the Tourism office of Kofu City actively promotes their products. Busloads of tourists are scheduled for fruit picking in various partner farms. One farm we visited accepts local and foreign volunteers all throughout the year to help with farm tasks that require manual labor. In exchange for their work, volunteers are allowed to do home stay, with free meals. Non-stay in volunteers bring home farm produce. Others just go pro bono, for the experience and happy link with and appreciation and gratitude for the hard work of farmers.

Shops also allow the farmers' produce to be displayed and sold. Agricultural cooperatives help to promote, pick up, and distribute the farm produce to customers.

University and research offices communicate their research findings about how to improve the farm products and production. Farmers also consult them about farm-related problems. Irrigation has sustainably flowed from the mountains to be used for free by the farmers!

Farmers produce the basic food for all but their production is appreciated and supported by sustainable networks of partners, both local and foreign!

There were even 2 Filipino trainees we met in a sericulture farm we visited. Sent by OISCA, they hope to be able to relay what they learned about silk culture back in Negros and in Aklan where an increasing number of farms have now been shifted for silk culture.

It would be productive for them to share the comprehensive network of support for farmers to allow for sustainable production of farm produce. We hope this partnership network will be considered for our local farming communities as well to sustainable support our farmers as they continue to support our needs.

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