Rethinking of Japanese Agricultural Studies in Africa

Abstract

Japanese agricultural studies in Africa began in the 1960's when most of the African countries became independent. However in only forty years these studies have accumulated many field research papers and acquired considerable importance in Japanese agricultural studies. By the World Bank in 1980's the structural adjustment policies introduced in Africa and the political and economic situation of Africa have changed dramatically. African societies were transformed drastically.
In the 1990's, Japanese agricultural studies in Africa also changed to focus on the study of the relationship between village level studies and world wide economy. Another two aspects were added in the 1990's, namely the multi-disciplinary studies of African agriculture and studies of the relationship between agriculture and human society.
The author points out three important issues in the future of Japanese agricultural studies in Africa. The first one is that Japanese agricultural studies have a responsibility to contribute to the feeding of Africa and the improvement in African agricultural studies. The second one is that agricultural studies in Africa contribute to the rethinking of Japanese agricultural studies from the viewpoint of the relationship between humans and their environment. For example recent studies have focused on small holder agriculture, the meaning of modern technology, and new ways of thinking about productivity. The final one is that the study of global views of food production based on the insights gained by long term field work at the village level which will be needed in the future.