食と農の「民主的」脱政治化

抄録

    Many policy issues are behind the recent eruption of challenges related to food and agriculture, and it is essential to confront these as political issues. For example, the elimination of tariffs on agricultural and livestock products, the decline in food self-sufficiency, inadequate policy support for producers, the ageing of producers and lack of successors, high food prices, and the spread of poverty and hunger. On the other hand, when discussing the limits of capitalist society, there has long been the view that food and agriculture should be common beyond market efficiency and economic rationalism.

    However, regarding food, various issues are often seen as something that should be solved by individual responsibility and competence. It will also be argued from the perspective of food washing that food narratives can sometimes even mask problems. Furthermore, public relations is examined as a type of ’democratic’ communication aimed at communicating risks about food safety, which is ’interactive’ and aims to build ’better relationships’. It further discussed how the boundary between propaganda and public relations can be unclear. The point at which information is seen as something that requires democratic control, making it harder for people to engage in their affairs, was discussed about government intelligence activities.

    As mentioned above, this paper discussed how the right to know must first be guaranteed when it comes to food sovereignty, but how difficult this has become. This paper also points out that no matter how depoliticised food becomes, it is a property that inevitably has to be linked to political action.