The Contradictions of Neoliberal Agri-Food: Corporations, Resistance, and Disasters in Japan
352
The Contradictions of Neoliberal Agri-Food: Corporations, Resistance, and Disasters in Japan
352eBook
Available on Compatible NOOK devices, the free NOOK App and in My Digital Library.
Related collections and offers
Overview
Sekine and Bonanno stress the incompatibility of the requirements of neoliberalism with the structural and cultural conditions of Japanese agri-food. Local farmers’ and fishermen’s emphasis on community collective management of natural resources, they argue, clashes with neoliberalism’s focus on individualism and competitiveness. The authors conclude by pointing out the resulting fundamental contradiction: The lack of recognition of this incompatibility allows the continuous implementation of market solutions to problems that originate in these very market mechanisms.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781943665204 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | West Virginia University Press |
| Publication date: | 08/01/2016 |
| Series: | Rural Studies |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 352 |
| File size: | 1 MB |
About the Author
Alessandro Bonanno is Texas State University System Regents’ Professor and Distinguished Professor of Sociology at Sam Houston State University.
Read an Excerpt
The Contradictions of Neoliberal Agri-Food
Corporations, Resistance, and Disasters in Japan
By Kae Sekine, Alessandro Bonanno
West Virginia University Press
Copyright © 2016 West Virginia University PressAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-943665-20-4
CHAPTER 1
Agri-Food in Japan
A Literature Review
Introduction
This chapter reviews the salient literature regarding the agri-food sector in Japan. We explore relevant contributions that address the four themes of the book: the implementation of neoliberal measures, the impact of disasters, the role and actions of corporations, and resistance to the neoliberalization and corporatization of agri-food. Accordingly, the chapter is divided into four sections. In the first section, we examine works that deal with the neoliberalization of Japanese agri-food and its consequences, along with contributions that discuss the role and position of social institutions and relevant actors in the sector. Further, we divide the literature into English-language and Japanese contributions, thus introducing the copious literature originally published in Japanese to an international audience. This group of works is dominated by analyses that examine the agri-food sector using a political economy approach. We also review some works that are exemplary of studies employing different theoretical perspectives. While most of the works reviewed tend to conflate Neoliberalism and globalization, the analyses of the liberalization of markets and its consequences provide a significant analytical basis for subsequent chapters in the volume.
The second section reviews the literature on the consequences for the agri-food and rural regions embedded in the triple disaster of March 2011. This literature is organized into three categories. The first includes works that focus on the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant meltdown and the consequent radioactive contamination of agri-food products. The second category includes studies that probe the damage that the triple disaster generated to local farming and food supply chains and that analyze the characteristics of the reconstruction process. Finally, authors included in the third category emphasize the role that the public sector and public policies played in the reconstruction process. Nearly all works in this literature are critical of the process of reconstruction that followed the 2011 disasters. The results demonstrate that the implementation of neoliberal measures becomes a tool that empowers large corporations and diminishes the well-being of family farm holders and local communities. However, some authors contend that the promotion of neoliberal measures by local and national governments opens up some of the democratic spaces available in the private sphere that are not available in the public sphere.
The third section reviews contributions on the corporatization of agri-food. We focus on the neoliberal-inspired expansion of corporations in the sector and its consequences. This literature is further divided into four areas. One area is formed by early studies that introduced international debates to a local audience and, consequently, ignited the growth of empirical and theoretical studies on the topic. The second portion of this group includes authors who investigate the expansion of transnational corporations (TNCs) in countries other than Japan, including the United States, while the third group includes analyses of Japanese food trading and food processing corporations and their global activities. The fourth and final portion of the literature review concerns the growing number of works studying foreign and Japanese agri-food corporations that promote capital investments in Japan.
The final section of this chapter reviews works associated with episodes and processes of resistance. It discusses the evolution of this literature, stressing the recent surge in research on opposition to the neoliberalization and corporatization of agri-food. Despite this recent spate of publications, it is concluded, the overall theme of resistance is poorly discussed in Japan as the theme of opposition to dominant actors in agri-food.
The review of works on the four themes of the book informs the analysis that we carry out in the rest of this volume.
Research into Japanese rural sociology is extensive. Yet the agri-food scholarship is at best in a state of "relative isolationism." The term "isolationism" refers to the fact that relevant debates are largely confined to works published in Japanese and circulated within Japan. The limited familiarity of international readers with Japanese agri-food and the concomitant limited publication of local works in English and other major Western languages contribute to this situation. Additionally, the cultural perception, once common among Japanese scholars, that Japanese life and social relations could not be accurately analyzed in languages other than Japanese is a fundamental contributing factor (see chapter 9). This situation is relatively fluid for two basic reasons. First, recently the Japanese scholarly community has begun to internationalize its research, which has led to the proliferation of publications in English and other languages. Second, works are being written in English by a small, yet very prolific, group of Western agri-food scholars who specialize in Japanese studies (e.g., Jussaume 1994a, 1994b, 1991, 1990; Jussaume and Higgins 1998; Jussaume, Hisano, and Taniguchi 2000) and by an equally small but prolific group of Japanese sociologists who are or were associated with Western academic institutions (e.g., Iba and Sakamoto 2014; Kimura 2013, 2010; Kimura and Katano 2014; Sakamoto, Choi, and Burmeister 2007; Tanaka 2008). These authors often employ the case of Japanese agri-food not only to discuss issues pertaining to Japan but also to participate in international debates. In essence, the increasing global interconnectedness of the sociological community is at work to alter this "relative isolationism."
The Neoliberalization of Agri-Food in Japan
The debate on Neoliberalism accelerated in the mid-2000s after the introduction of translated works, such as the popular essay on the history of Neoliberalism by the British social geographer David Harvey (2005a; see also Harvey 2005b). Since then, a significant number of works has populated the local literature focusing on the characteristics of Neoliberalism and its implementation in the country (e.g., Hamada, Kayshap, and Weinstein 2011; Hashimoto 2014; Hattori 2013). In the case of agri-food, numerous publications and related interpretations have fueled international debates on the hegemonic position of Neoliberalism, its consequences, and resistance to it (Wolf and Bonanno 2014). These publications had a relatively limited impact on local debates but were quite relevant to works about Japan published in English. In effect, this literature can be divided into two nearly parallel camps. The first is represented by analyses of Neoliberalism in agri-food in Japan published in English and the other refers to works covering the same topic but published in Japanese.
The Literature in English
In the case of works published in English, the size of the literature is quite limited, primarily because only a limited number of pertinent documents and scientific papers essential for these analyses are available in languages other than Japanese. This situation makes it difficult for non-Japanese speakers to study agri-food in Japan. Accordingly, and as indicated above, this production is the almost exclusive prerogative of a small groups of Japanese researchers working abroad and of non-Japanese scholars who specialize in Japanese studies. Among the latter, it is important to mention the seminal work of Raymond Jussaume Jr. and his associates (e.g., Jussaume 1994a, 1994b, 1991, 1990; Jussaume and Higgins 1998; Jussaume, Hisano, and Taniguchi 2000; Jussaume and Judson 1992). For this discussion, the significance of Jussaume's work rests on his illustration of the first stages of the process of deregulation of Japanese agri-food and the implications that it had on relevant actors and, in particular, on family farmers and consumers. Because his sociological work appeared almost exclusively in the 1990s, documenting the early stages of the neoliberalization of Japanese agri-food, Jussaume is credited with introducing Japan to the international agri-food audience. As the contours of the neoliberal restructuring were not completely clear at the time, Jussaume's analysis elucidated the fundamental characteristics and consequences of the neoliberalization of Japanese agri-food, including the corporatization of the sector, the crisis of family farming, and the opposition that these processes engendered. Central to his thesis of crisis in the sector is the growing profood safety sensitivity of Japanese consumers that allowed him to forecast correctly the anticorporate mobilization in support of the production of quality food and the growing connection between interest in personal health and food safety.
Contributions that are more recent tackle the consequences of the full adoption of Neoliberalism in the country. Kiyohiko Sakamoto and his associates (Iba and Sakamoto 2014; Sakamoto, Choi, and Burmeister 2007) study the farming sector and rural regions, and they analyze Neoliberalism in terms of the construction of possible alternatives. The theme of alternatives to Neoliberalism is also addressed by Aya Kimura through various publications (Kimura 2013, 2010; Kimura and Katano 2014). Stressing the importance of feminist theory to the study and reorganization of agri-food, Kimura's work is relevant for this discussion because of her analyses of new forms of regulation and the consequences of the nuclear disaster (see chapter 3 and later in this chapter).
The contributions of these two authors are important, as they examine the shortcomings of neoliberal postures adopted to reorganize agri-food. Sakamoto and his associates point out that the neoliberalization of farming increases this sector's crisis as the important vital roles performed by farming in the past are compromised and the hoped-for increases in productivity and international competitiveness have proved difficult to achieve. They contend that high costs of labor and land hamper any real possibility of increasing productivity to competitive levels. For Kimura, the existence of alternative agri-food networks is a fundamental aspect of current conditions in Japan that needs serious evaluation to help build a better future.
However, they also share a common and relatively positive view of the effects of neoliberalization in agri-food and rural regions. In his work with Iba (Iba and Sakamoto 2014), Sakamoto stresses that the neoliberal deregulation and concomitant reduction of local services mobilize communities and generate new process of solidarity that ultimately lead to local groups' empowerment. Recognizing the dominant power of Neoliberalism, they also stress the availability of opportunities for resistance and the creation of alternatives. Kimura, who through her analysis of food certification schemes emphasizes the emancipatory dimension associated with this process, maintains a similar position. Arguably, both these convergent positions can be viewed as theorizations that underscore the dialectic of domination, whereby processes of domination also contain elements that contribute to the liberation of subordinate groups. As emphasized by Kimura, the development of critical subjectivities is central to emancipatory processes. At the same time, though, this reliance of subjectivity and processes of self-help brings to mind classical discussions of "artificial negativity," in which administered forms of control are interpreted as emancipatory. Additionally, the situations lauded by these authors do little to alter the processes of neoliberalization and corporatization. For example, discussed in the following chapters, the once politically controlled access to land and fishing rights has been deregulated to favor the increasing presence of corporations.
The Literature in Japanese
The camp containing works written in Japanese is significantly larger. Interestingly, and to different degrees, virtually all these contributions treat the neoliberalization of agri-food as part of the process of globalization (e.g., Kagatsume 2007; Nakano and Sugiyama 2001; Taniguchi 2008). Regardless of this focus on globalization, this literature can be organized into two distinct groups. The first, and much larger, group contains works that employ a political economy approach. They study agri-food in terms of the economic interests and political influence (or lack of it) of salient actors and document the consequences that the implementation of neoliberal policies have had for the various social groups and the sector. The second, and much smaller, group includes contributions that approach the issue of the neoliberalization of agri-food from other theoretical perspectives. Given its size, the political economy group can be further divided into three subgroups. The first discusses the implementation of neoliberal measures in agri-food almost exclusively in terms of the consequences of globalization of the economy and society; the second offers an analysis that tackles Neoliberalism in a more direct manner; the third group focuses on future policies that could address Neoliberalism's consequences.
The political economy group: Neoliberalism as part of globalization. The first group of the political economy camp can be further divided into two types of analyses. The first focuses on market liberalization and the creation of institutions that promote it, such as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and, more recently, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), while the second includes studies that take a closer look at the consequences of Neoliberalism for agri-food and rural areas. As part of the first subgroup, in separate works Chiba (2001) and Murata (2003) map out the gradual trade liberalization of agri-food and study the negotiation processes characterizing the creation and expansion of GATT, the WTO, the bilateral Free Trade Agreements (FTA), and the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA). In Particular, Murata stresses the relevance of corporate agendas for shaping these negotiations and for related domestic policy reforms. Additionally, and as they focus on the international arena, both Murata and Chiba tend to explain market liberalization in terms of the interests of salient nation-states and their geopolitical interests. In a similar fashion, Tashiro (2011) provides a political economy analysis of the negotiations for the establishment of TPP, probing not only its economic aspects but also its geopolitical and military dimensions. While this author contends that farm-income support policies follow from Neoliberalism, he also equates Neoliberalism with market fundamentalism.
The second subgroup contains works that critically examine the impact of globalization on agri-food and rural areas (e.g., Fujii 2007; Okada 2007). Both Fujii (2007) and Okada (2007) identify in market liberalization and the consequent growth of agri-food imports two factors that promote the decline of local production, the deterioration of the living conditions of rural communities, the reduction of the rural population, and the abandonment of agricultural land. Moreover, Fujii (2007) documents the decline in agricultural land prices and profitability that followed the introduction of neoliberal measures in the mid-1980s. According to Fujii, this is one of the outcomes of the dominant roles that transnational corporations played in the promotion of trade liberalization. Tomohiro Okada (2007) denounces the government-led consolidation of municipalities that resulted from the fiscal crisis of the state and consequent change from deficit spending to subsidy reductions. He claims that the Japanese state played a key role in the establishment of this trend, as increased support to corporations and decreased spending on rural communities aggravate the conditions of the latter, which are already suffering from the negative consequences of other aspects of globalization.
The political economy group: Works more directly addressing neoliberalism. Although in the political economy camp, the analyses of Neoliberalism remain relatively underdeveloped and subordinated to the study of globalization, some recent publications have partially addressed this shortcoming. This segment of literature (e.g., Kase 2008; Yokoyama 2008) probes the evolution of the liberalization of the Japanese agri-food markets that was accelerated by the Plaza Accord of 1985. It illustrates the international conditions that led to market liberalization, documenting the pressure exerted by the United States to decrease protectionist policies in support of local agriculture and, in particular, of family farming. The United States, it is maintained, desired to counter the expansion of Japanese corporations into North American manufacturing markets through the augmentation of U.S. agri-food exports to Japan. These studies underscore the neoliberal character of the policy changes that characterized the agri-food sector and stress the resulting decline of price support programs, introduction of new income support schemes, land market deregulations, and harmonization of domestic policies. In particular, Kase (2008) focuses on the historical and structural factors that promoted global capitalism and the conditions that, beginning in the 1970s, led to the Great Recession and stagflation of the following decades. The core of his thesis rests on the argument that the implementation of neoliberal policies failed to reverse the Great Recession. Accordingly, he contends that it is desirable to adopt different types of policies to address the economic problems of Japan, including assigning a greater role to agriculture in the revitalization of the national economy.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Contradictions of Neoliberal Agri-Food by Kae Sekine, Alessandro Bonanno. Copyright © 2016 West Virginia University Press. Excerpted by permission of West Virginia University Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.