2019 Volume 39 Issue 2 Pages 72-86
The object of this paper is to clarify the role of the activities by a voluntary study group of progressive farmers in the adoption of new technologies in a local region by analyzing the approach of Toyako Agricultural Cooperative promoting environmentally-sound agriculture(called “Clean Agriculture”)and GLOBALG.A.P. In this case, a small number of farmers using advanced techniques had been conducting Clean Agriculture with high regard for quality as a new technology. Based on their efforts, they convinced the existing cooperative’s advisory service and farmers’ production group, who had sold products graded only by quantity, to change to grading products by quality. As a result of adopting this new technology, the struggling cooperative’s business recovered. Thus, it was clarified that a voluntary study group has possibilities to change the way of thinking of existing organizations and to play an important role for adopting new technologies in a local context.
