The Journal of Political Economy and Economic History
Online ISSN : 2423-9089
Print ISSN : 1347-9660
Volume 51, Issue 4
Displaying 1-18 of 18 articles from this issue
  • Article type: Cover
    2009 Volume 51 Issue 4 Pages Cover2-
    Published: July 30, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: August 30, 2017
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Download PDF (62K)
  • Yoshifumi IKEJIMA
    Article type: Article
    2009 Volume 51 Issue 4 Pages 1-15
    Published: July 30, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: August 30, 2017
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    In fighting the hunger and poverty that still afflict many people in today's world, the United Nations has been turning to partnership with transnational corporations (TNCs) when formulating and implementing development policies. However, seeking partnership with TNCs is not something new for the UN. Indeed, as an early case of such partnership, we can trace back to the Industry Cooperative Programme (ICP) initiated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in the 1960s and 1970s. The ICP was intended to introduce TNCs' expertise in management control and advanced technology into agricultural development in developing countries under the umbrella of cooperation between the FAO, governments of developing countries and transnational agribusiness corporations. This cooperation through the ICP is arguably a pioneering example of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). Indeed, a lot of transnational agribusinesses participated in the ICP, whereby they could expand their business and exploit new markets in target countries, while advertising their "contribution" to those developing countries. Although the program is highly thought-provoking for the study of TNCs and international political economy, it has rarely been the subject of academic attention. The primary purpose of this paper is to analyze the historical circumstances and significance of the cooperative partnership between UN agencies and transnational agribusinesses, by reference to the literature of the ICP, including FAO official documents. This paper mainly focuses on the interests and conflicts among stakeholders involved in the program, using ICP projects in Turkey and Nigeria as particular cases of the process of transnational agribusinesses' penetration into developing countries. Furthermore, by paying attention to the process by which TNCs increased their political influence within the United Nations system through the program, we present how the institutional setting of PPP between the UN and TNCs was formulated through agricultural development in developing countries. Finally, by unpacking the tangled relations of stakeholders in the program and relevant UN conferences, the multilayered structure of the international political economy shaped by the key actors-UN agencies, nation-states and transnational corporations-is revealed with implications for underlying problems in ongoing, PPP-oriented development policies of the UN.
    Download PDF (2189K)
  • Noburu KOBAYASHI
    Article type: Article
    2009 Volume 51 Issue 4 Pages 16-34
    Published: July 30, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: August 30, 2017
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    The Commercial Office (Shoho-shi) and Trade Office (Tsusho-shi) are important for understanding the trade policy adopted by the Meiji Restoration government and much analysis has focused on these two departments, in particular on the study of the Exchange Company (Kawase-Kaisha). As a result, it has become commonly accepted that the "District-focused" system changed to a "Government enterprise" system. However, some issues in the study of the Trade Company (Tsusho-Kaisha) still remain unresolved, and the purpose of this paper is to reconsider the Tsusho-shi's trade policy through the example of the Trade Company of Nagoya (Nagoya Tsusho-Kaisha). In the early Meiji period, there were two important institutions in the Nagoya area: the Commercial Office and Enterprise Association (Shoho-Kaisho) and the Domestic Products Association (Kokusan-Kaisho). At first, the Shoho-Kaisho aimed to renovate and control the Kabunakama (merchant guilds of the Tokugawa period) and to provide financing for merchants, while the Kokusan-Kaisho aimed to facilitate business with remote areas. After the Shoho-shi was abolished in 1869, the Kokusan-Kaisho gradually took on the functions of the Shoho-Kaisho. Additionally, the Shoho-Kaisho and Kokusan-Kaisho issued local currency to supply needed low denomination bills. This local currency could be exchanged with Dajokan notes, enhancing monetary credit. However in April 1871, the Kokusan-Kaisho was replaced with a newly established institution, the Trade Company of Nagoya. The company attempted to exert control over Nagoya merchants by issuing licenses and by assigning a leader or Sewakata to each merchant group. In addition, the company collected money from merchants in Nagoya, and the pooled money was used as working capital (shinboku-ko). The local administration and merchants in Nagoya Prefecture played a central role in planning and implementing their own policies, and attempted to promote trade within the local area and with foreign countries. The trade policy adopted by the Restoration government focused mainly on overseas trade and neglected to take account of local benefit. Hence, some prefectures did not adhere to these policies and maintained their autonomy from the central government.
    Download PDF (2654K)
  • Toshihiko KOBA
    Article type: Article
    2009 Volume 51 Issue 4 Pages 35-45
    Published: July 30, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: August 30, 2017
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Prior to the Second World War, much of the coal mined in Kyushu and Yamaguchi was transported through the Seto Inland Sea by motorized sailboat. This motorized sailboat transportation system was taken under government control during the Pacific War and could have proved of some utility. This paper clarifies how and why the system failed, through an analysis of the transport management organization's problem recognition and ability to implement countermeasures, and also aims to create a more concrete understanding of the decline of marine transportation power, of such crucial importance during WWII, in the wartime Japanese economy. In order to increase coal supply, full-scale control of the motorized sailboat system was started in 1942 and most of the motorized sailing traders were taken under government management. From 1943 mobilization of traders was strengthened and a variety of measures were taken for the reinforcement of transport capacity. Nevertheless, far from increasing, coal traffic from Kyushu and Yamaguchi decreased. Within the transportation plan for Kyushu and Yamaguchi coal, a bottleneck was created by the exclusive use of some vessels by the army and a number of factories. On the other hand, contradictions surfaced during the process of development of the control system and as the acceleration of mobilization of motorized sailboats proceeded. These can be classified in the following three forms. First, because of the peculiar nature of the motorized sailboat business and in spite of repeated investigations, the control organization was not able to develop an overall picture of the tonnage and status of the vessels and consequently there were problems in drawing up and implementing policies. Second, mobilization for national purposes did not proceed smoothly and some traders refused to join the control system. Third, problems remained in making full use to plan of those vessels that were employed for national use. Lack of replacement staff due to conscription, shortage of staff, supplies and fuel, and low wages in a context of ever increasing prices, motorized sailboat owners evaded the planned transportation system or chose to sell their vessels on the secondhand ship market. These complex restrictions brought about the failure of the controlled transportation system.
    Download PDF (1618K)
  • Hiroshi ICHIHARA
    Article type: Article
    2009 Volume 51 Issue 4 Pages 46-47
    Published: July 30, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: August 30, 2017
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Download PDF (388K)
  • Yoshiaki SHIKANO
    Article type: Article
    2009 Volume 51 Issue 4 Pages 48-50
    Published: July 30, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: August 30, 2017
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Download PDF (533K)
  • Satoshi ISHII
    Article type: Article
    2009 Volume 51 Issue 4 Pages 50-52
    Published: July 30, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: August 30, 2017
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Download PDF (529K)
  • Sukman BAE
    Article type: Article
    2009 Volume 51 Issue 4 Pages 52-55
    Published: July 30, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: August 30, 2017
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Download PDF (691K)
  • Kazuo KURAMOCHI
    Article type: Article
    2009 Volume 51 Issue 4 Pages 55-57
    Published: July 30, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: August 30, 2017
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Download PDF (537K)
  • Kiichiro YAGI
    Article type: Article
    2009 Volume 51 Issue 4 Pages 57-59
    Published: July 30, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: August 30, 2017
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Download PDF (546K)
  • Shoichi ASAJIMA
    Article type: Article
    2009 Volume 51 Issue 4 Pages 59-61
    Published: July 30, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: August 30, 2017
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Download PDF (552K)
  • Hisahiko SAITO
    Article type: Article
    2009 Volume 51 Issue 4 Pages 61-63
    Published: July 30, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: August 30, 2017
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Download PDF (531K)
  • Tachihiko MASUDA
    Article type: Article
    2009 Volume 51 Issue 4 Pages 64-66
    Published: July 30, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: August 30, 2017
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Download PDF (551K)
  • Hideaki ITO
    Article type: Article
    2009 Volume 51 Issue 4 Pages 66-68
    Published: July 30, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: August 30, 2017
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Download PDF (526K)
  • Shizuya NISHIMURA
    Article type: Article
    2009 Volume 51 Issue 4 Pages 68-70
    Published: July 30, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: August 30, 2017
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Download PDF (512K)
  • Isao SUTO
    Article type: Article
    2009 Volume 51 Issue 4 Pages 70-72
    Published: July 30, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: August 30, 2017
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Download PDF (534K)
  • Isao HIROTA
    Article type: Article
    2009 Volume 51 Issue 4 Pages 72-73
    Published: July 30, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: August 30, 2017
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Download PDF (371K)
  • Haruhito TAKEDA
    Article type: Article
    2009 Volume 51 Issue 4 Pages 74-75
    Published: July 30, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: August 30, 2017
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Download PDF (371K)
feedback
Top