Vol.

121

NEWS
2024.3≪Greetings from the President≫
In August 2023, I was elected the 16th president ofJA ZENCHU and president of IDACA.
First of all, I would like to express my condolences
to the victims of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake of2024 and my deepest sympathy to all those affectedby the disaster.
IDACA, which is responsible for the JA Group'sinternational cooperation activities, was established in
1963 through the efforts of Mr. Yasushi Hasumi, theYAMANO Toru
first president of JA ZENCHU, as "a place for leaders
President of IDACA(President of JA Zenchu） engaged in the cooperative movement in developing
countries to provide learning opportunities within the agricultural cooperative
movement in our country and to foster solidarity in the international
community,” and last year marked its 60th anniversary.
CONTENTS
Greetings from the President
1<IDACA News>In Commemoration of IDACA’s 60th Anniversary
3
Introduction of Board Member for FY2023
4<Business Reports>
Attended Grains Conference 2023 Hosted by IGC
5
Attended WFO Annual Meeting
Concluded Partnership Agreement with UESD
IGC and IDACA Launched Joint Project6<Reports on Training Courses>
FY2023 JICA Training Course on “Establishment and Development ofFarmers’ Organization”
7HDR Project FVC Japan Tour in FY2023
9ICA/Japan Training Course on “Capacity Building of Rural Women on Their Roles for
the Vitalization of Rural Economy in FY2023
10Editor’s Note
12

NEWS

Since its establishment, we have accepted more than 6,700
participants for our training program, which is the core of our business.
The network of IDACA’s former participants has spread to about 135
countries around the world, including many Asian countries.
We will continue to contribute to the development of the cooperative
movement in Asia and other countries and to coexistence with the rest of
the world through training programs in cooperation with ICA(International Co-operative Alliance), JICA (Japan International
Cooperation Agency), and other organizations. And we will make further
efforts to help IDACA participants to develop a good understanding ofJapanese agriculture and JA.
In addition, in recent years, we have been strengthening ourcooperation with international organizations and the implementation ofprojects using the IDACA network to take advantage of the strengths of
our organization. We have been conducting workshops on climatechange with the World Farmers Organization (WFO), a member
organization of farmers' organizations around the world, until last year,
and this year we will conduct a joint research project with theInternational Grains Council (IGC), an intergovernmental organization,on the status of food security in the Asia-Pacific and Africa.
IDACA's international cooperation projects are thus highly regarded
by the Japanese government and various international organizations,and there are international expectations for IDACA to fulfill the role it has.
Recognizing our role as a member of the JA Group, we will promote
projects that contribute to the international community by establishingand expanding IDACA's image as a hub for information and humannetworks among agricultural professionals in Asia.

2-IDACA NEWS-In Commemoration of IDACA’s 60th Anniversary
Former Employee: Mr. Hiroshi Terunuma (December 1979 – March 2023)
Congratulations on your 60th anniversary.
For about 43 years, I was in charge of training programs related toagricultural cooperatives for foreign participants. Japanese agricultural
cooperatives are engaged in a wide range of activities for theirmembers in addition to agriculture-related and credit businesses, andthe participants have had a great impact and contributed to thedevelopment of agricultural cooperatives in their countries.
After 2000, in addition to acceptance training, I was involved inagricultural cooperative development work in Romania for six years.
The country experienced democratic development of agriculturalcooperatives amidst the turbulent transition from a socialist to a market
economy, as well as the country's entry into the European Union.
IDACA's training facility moved from Hachimanyama, Setagaya-kuto Aihara-cho, Machida City in 1986, and the environment changed
dramatically. When the facility was moved from the urban area to thesuburban area near Takao, the impression was that participants wereable to spend more time in a relaxedrather than a lonely environment, andthat interaction among the participants
had increased.
IDACA is doing important work
contributing to the SDGs, and I wish for
its continued growth.

3

-IDACA NEWS-

Introduction of Board Member for FY2023
The IDACA Board of Directors, Auditors and Councilors for fiscal year of 2023 arelisted below. (as of March 1, 2024)
BoardMemberNamePresidentYAMANO Toru

Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-ZENCHU),
President

Executive
Director

KOBAYASHI Hirofumi

Academic Expert(Current Executive Director of IDACA)

Director

KUWADA Yoshifumi

The National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations(ZEN-NOH), Senior Executive Vice President

Director

KONDO Shuichi

National Mutual Insurance Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives,
Managing Director

Director

YAGI Masanobu

The Norinchukin Bank, Representative Director and Managing
Executive Officer

Director

HIROTA Taketoshi

The Japan Agricultural News, President

Director

YOSHINO Koji

Nokyo Tourist Corporation, Managing Director

Auditor

NAKAMURA Junsei

National Welfare Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives, Senior
Executive Director

AuditorKINOSHITA Haruo

Association for Education and Publications on Agricultural Cooperatives, Senior Managing Director

Councilor

BABA ToshihikoCentral Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-ZENCHU), Senior
Executive Director

Councilor

IWASAKI Eiji

Japan International Cooperation Agency, Vice President

Councilor

FUJIOKA Norio

Japan Association for International Collaboration of Agriculture andForestry, Executive Director

Councilor

YAMAKOSHI Akihiro

Japanese Consumers’ Co-operative Union, Manager

Councilor

INAGAKI Teruya

National Chamber of Agriculture, Executive Director

Councilor

NAKAHIRA KazunoriNational Federation of Fisheries Co-operative Associations, Senior
Managing Director

Organization & Position

3

-Business ReportsAttended Grains Conference 2023 hosted by International
Grains Council (IGC)
Mr. Kobayashi, Executive Director, attended the Grains Conference
2023 hosted by the International Grains Council (IGC) on June 12-13,
2023.
The conference was subtitled “Achieving food security for importers
in volatile world markets", and Mr. Kobayashi was invited as a panelist
for the session "Improving Productivity and Sustainability in the GrainSector". In the same session, he explained the objectives of theinstitution and raised issues related to the pursuit of productivity andsustainability and the importance of market information/networking
among stakeholders. He also commented that access to smart
agriculture is key for the future.

Attended World Farmers’ Organization (WFO) Annual Meeting
The annual meeting of the World Farmers Organization (WFO) was
held in Sun City, South Africa, on May 21-24, 2023, and Mr. Kobayashi,
Executive Director, attended the meeting.
Separately, we exchanged views with the WFO Secretary Generalon the schedule of WFO training at the International Co-operative
Alliance (ICA) training, and on a joint project with the International
Grain Council (IGC).

Concluded Partnership Agreement with University ofEnvironment and Sustainable Development (UESD)
On August 2, 2023, IDACA signed a partnership agreement with
the University of Environment & Sustainable Development (UESD),Ghana.
Based on this collaboration agreement, we will enhance ourbusiness, including training and research, as a new project.

5

-Business ReportsInternational Grains Council (IGC) and IDACA launched joint
project (Workshop held in Bangkok)
On December 19, 2023, the International Grains Council (IGC) andthe IDACA held a workshop in Bangkok, Thailand, funded by theGovernment of Japan.
Recognizing that the global food market needs to be prepared towithstand shocks, IGC and IDCACA conducted interviews withproducers, cooperatives, traders, food processors, and consumers tolearn about regional conditions, including how participants in the ricesupply chain in Asia, Africa, and Oceania are using market information,in advance of the workshop. Interviews were conducted through aquestionnaire, and discussions among the attendees were deepened
based on the results of the survey at the workshop
A similar workshop was held in London in February for other grains
such as corn (maize) and wheat.
＜What is International Grains Council (IGC)?＞
The IGC is headquartered in London and has 28 member countries and theEuropean Union. The IGC calculates and publishes the Grain and Oilseed
Index (GOI), prepares reports on grain markets, and holds grain conferences
to promote international cooperation, facilitate trade, and exchange informationon the international grain trade.

6-Reports on Training CoursesFY2023 JICA Training Course on “Establishment andDevelopment of Farmers’ Organization”

JA Kamiina Grading Center(Nagano Pref.)Finally freed from the restrictions
caused by COVID-19, 10 participantsfrom 9 countries from Asia and Africa
participated in this training. One of theparticipants from African region said,“Finally, my dream has come true, and I
am here in Japan.” In the past few years,
the number of participants from African
region has been gradually increasing.

The training started on July 17 andended on September 1, based at JICA's
Tsukuba facility, with field trips to Nagano and Miyagi prefectures. InNagano prefecture, the participants learned about the organization andbusiness initiatives of agricultural cooperatives, mainly through training at
JA Kamiina, exchanged opinions with leaders of production committees,
and deepened their consideration of organized agricultural initiatives
through visits to member farmers and production corporations. In Miyagi
prefecture, with the cooperation of the Miyagi Prefectural Government,
Miyagi Agricultural High School, and JA Sendai, we had the opportunity tolearn about policies, business plans of agricultural cooperatives and theirefforts in processing business and 6th industrialization, human resource
development in the agricultural sector, and examples of female
entrepreneurship.
This year was a particularly hotsummer, and although the trainees
were surprised by the heat, their stayin Japan seemed to be a memorable
one.

Harvesting Green Onions at Kitanohara Farm(Nagano Pref.)7

-Reports on Training CoursesFY2023 JICA Training Course on “Establishment and Developmentof Farmers’ Organization” <Message from Participant>
The training course was well laid out andstructured with the facilitators providing theparticipants with detailed lectures. The lecture
sessions were easy to follow through as thepresentations were very clear and includedillustrations, pictures and videos. The facilitators
were extremely friendly allowing participants tofreely express themselves and seek clarity. The
training program also included extensive travel
Mr. Chungu Chibimbi (Zambia)
across Japan providing a better picture of theSenior Marketing Development
situation on the ground including the much
Officer, Agribusiness andneeded exposure.
Marketing, Ministry of Agriculture
Our stay at Nagano city was amazing thatthe city had a cosmopolitan feel and was welldeveloped. We learned a great deal during our stay having an insight of how the citymanaged the agricultural sector through research, production, processing, storage,distribution and marketing. The visits to the JA, the apple, flower, peach farms andthe country elevator was very informative. We also took time to visit a warehousewere we witnessed the auctioning of various agricultural products.
While in Miyagi we visited an agricultural high school which provides quality
knowledge to pupils in agricultural practices. It was shocking to learn that the young
learners were exposed to various agricultural research practices including
environmental conservation. The tour of the school was concluded with the exclusive
moment of each participant been accorded an opportunity to plant a pine tree at theschool grounds. Participants then headed to the site of a former school building
damaged by the tsunami, where they learned of
the hardships faced by the children and peopleof the town during the disaster and were filledwith sad emotions. The trip to Miyagi ended
with a traditional meal of onigiri and miso soupat a restaurant which was run by the women.
The participants enjoyed the meal using chopsticks which was fun and memorable.
The training experience and stay in Japan
were enjoyable, and the acquired knowledge ishighly valued and likely to be implemented ineach respective country.
Agricultural Direct Sells ShopTanabatake Takasago Store(Miyagi Pref.)8-Reports on Training CoursesHDR Project FVC Japan Tour in FY2023
Selected Students from Cambodia and Laos participated in the“Field Study on Food and Agriculture Industry in Japan 2023” fromAugust 20th to August 29th August, 2023. The field study was affiliatedwith the “Project for Human Resources Development Project in Food Related areas through Partnership with Universities in ASEANCountries (HRD Project) - Phase 3”. The program was a 10-day
intensive course attended by 8 students, 2 professors and 2
government officials from Cambodia and Laos. A total of 12 participants
were selected from each country to participate in this intensive course
program in Japan.
<Student from National University of Laos>
It may be challenging to fully grasp the entire training course withina short period of time, and I can understand more when I get theopportunity to experience it firsthand. Time is important for a valuable
and memorable learning experience. I would like to have a course likethis that is both short-term and long-term for acquiring more knowledge.
Thank you so much for the opportunity. I feel great to have received it
and am happy to have joined this program.

<Student from Royal University Agricultural, Cambodia>
Overall, I am very pleased to have the opportunity to learn andparticipate in learning more about this task. What I have learned is allimportant knowledge that can help not only me but also a moredeveloped country, whether in food production or agriculture. Thankyou so much for sharing and for the warm welcome every second.

JA Kinosato Farmer’s Market “Mekkemon Hiroba”(Kinokawa City, Wakayama Prefecture)9

-Reports on Training CoursesICA/Japan Training Course on “Capacity Building of Rural Womenon Their Roles for the Vitalization of Rural Economy in FY2023”
Commissioned
bytheInternational Co-operative Alliance
Asia-Pacific(ICA-AP),
IDACA
conducted an ICA training course forwomen from September 1 to 14,
2023, with the aim of improving thestatus of rural women in Asia and thePacific and promoting entrepreneurial
activities that lead to higher income.
At JA Shinshu Ueda Direct Sale Shop(Nagano Pref.)This was the first face-to-facetraining in three years and the firsttime IDACA accepted ICA participants since moving to its new office.
Seven women leaders from India, Kiribati, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand,and Vietnam participated in the training in Japan, following the viewing oflecture videos delivered in advance in their home countries and the on-site
inspection training in Thailand.
During the field trip to Nagano prefecture, we learned about the JA Group'srole in the local community, agricultural processing and marketing efforts byrural women, women's participation in rural development, and environmentallyfriendly agriculture. The knowledge and information gained from this study wasused as a reference for action plans to be developed to improve issues in theirown countries. In addition, the participants had the opportunity to attend agathering of the Nagano Prefectural Council of JA Women’s Associations,exchange views with President
Kubo, National Council of JA
Women’sAssociations,andengage in cultural exchange withmembers of local JA Women’sAssociations, making this amemorable field trip for all ofthem.
Cultural Exchange Meeting with JA Azumi
Women’s Association (Nagano Pref.)10-Reports on Training CoursesICA/Japan Training Course on “Capacity Building of Rural Women on Their Roles for
the Vitalization of Rural Economy in FY2023” <Message from Participant>

The past 2 weeks have been a wonderful, amazing and educative
experience as we had a field-based training, case studies learning andvisits to agricultural cooperatives in Nagano prefecture, Japan. The mostimportant observation that I can see is that the roles played by Japan
Agricultural Cooperatives (JAs) in protecting and supporting the Japanese
farmers for development of agriculture in Japan.
Japan has a very systematic JAs from primary level to the national level.
It was a very meaningful experience to learn about how JA has successfully
well-implemented the food value chains starting from production, packaging,
grading, shipping, marketing and distribution, in addition to playing financial(mutual insurance, credit and saving), educational such as farm guidance
activities, supplying and purchasing, medical and welfare services for theirmembers.
Apart from that, from the case studies learning and observation,
Japanese rural women participation in social and economic activities,
especially in farming, is the key to the success of JA as empowered women
are involved in decision making of farm management of JA. Throughsustainable agricultural production based on the community, family farmers
play an important role in contributing to the whole community in Japan.
We learned a lot especially about agricultural cooperatives from bothcountries Thailand and Japan for this training course. We will implement theknowledge that we got
from the training coursein the action plan that weprepared to be applied in
our home country.

Ms. Norfahida Binti Hasbullah (Malaysia)
3rd person from the right in front

Officer, Agriculture and Plantation Section,
Malaysian National Co-Operative Movement(ANGKASA)

11

Editor’s Note

-NEW FACESIntroducing New Members
I would like to disseminate
Information about JA Group’s
Agricultural initiatives to the world.

I would like to use my experienceand knowledge gained from my previous
job to make operations more
efficient at IDACA.

As an IDACA employee,
I will dedicate myself to build
relationships with various countries
that uphold the reputationof the JA Group.

I am in charge of accounting in
the General Affairs Group.
I will do my best to make an
immediate contribution to IDACA’soperations.

● Editing and Publishing: Institute for the Development of Agricultural Cooperation in Asia
2-30-14, Morino, Machida-shi, Tokyo 194-0022 Japan TEL: +81-42-860-7801 FAX: +81-42-860-7802