1995 Volume 1 Pages 38-52
In the 1970’s the organic agriculture movement in Japan spontaneously started in various parts of the country. At the beginning it faced many hurdles, and was judged as heretical by people with prejudiced views. Through this hard period the concerned people initiated a unique form of the movement, “TEIKEI” (an alternative distribution system between producers and consumers based on mutual understanding), which promoted a new form of social and economic system in the process of food production, distribution and consumption.
In the latter half of 1980’s, however, the political and administrative situation surrounding organic agriculture drastically changed. The government implemented new policy of sustainable agriculture and institutionalized a labelling system for marketing of organic products. Thus, organic agriculture that started as “a movement” has now fulfilled the conditions that enable it to operate as “a business” in our industrial society. But ironically, if the distribution of organic products expands to larger areas and imports from abroad increase, “the principles of material and life circulation” originally contained in organic agriculture itself would be disrupted.
Under these circumstances, what kind of conception of social relationship or social system would ensure local diversity and would form in order to plant the roots of sound organic agriculture?
In this paper I will deliberate on local development of the organic agriculture movement from these points of views; 1)self-sufficient farm, 2)TEIKEI(co-partnership) with consumer groups, 3)revitalization of local communities through organic agriculture, and try to present a new perspective for environmental sociology.
