Knowledge Creation through International Cooperation in Agriculture

Abstract

This paper intends to examine how the social environment has changed in international agricultural cooperation from the viewpoint of international food system theory.　Subsequently the “knowledge creation theory”, which has made significant progress in the field of economics, and the life cycle theory are integrated based on the theoretical foundation in industrial cluster theory to explore the possibilities and issues in knowledge creation (including development of human resources) in international cooperation in agriculture.　It concluded that the significance of international agricultural cooperation lies in the creation of new knowledge by each researcher and institution through cooperation, and the significance of that cooperation becomes evident when agricultural issues are solved through innovation as a result of knowledge creation.　Furthermore, if international cooperation in agriculture aspires to attain the situation where relevant entities such as universities and research institutions cooperate and compete globally, then an innovation induction principle in global “industrial clusters”which bear a similar relationship, or the knowledge creation framework based on the principle of cooperation supremacy, will be effective.　Hence this paper would like to look at the direction of research in international agricultural cooperation as an issue of “knowledge governance”in addition to knowledge supply in knowledge creation.

JEL Classification: Q10, O30