| Looking for New Opportunities? Check the Job Bank Check the AAEA Job Bank on the AAEA Web site regularly for the latest job opportunities in the agricultural communications industry.
Images from Japan Click here to view more photos from Japan, thanks to David Lundquist, CHS/Land O'Lakes; Kurt Lawton, Stellar Content; and Lilian Schaer, Eastern Canada Farm Writers' Association.
Reflections of IFAJ - Japan By Kurt Lawton First off, a million thanks to members of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) committee and the AAEA Professional Improvement Foundation that extended a stipend so I could experience my first federation of 184 journalists from across the globe. I now understand why some members among us -- Paul Queck and Mike Wilson to name two -- journey to this meeting annually, and get involved. It's the rural kinship connection, the people, the hobnobbing, and immersing oneself in the oddities of different cultures (like trying not to see male peers buck-naked in a Japanese hot spa). I'm now a believer (in IFAJ, not the spa), and question why I have not gone before now. What you gain are amazing global perspectives, which are extremely valuable in the global agricultural marketplace we try to decipher every week. And my Palm address list now contains dozens of journalists from 20-plus countries, all who cover agriculture. There might even be more names once I translate a few napkins. You get the picture. Now, having travelled Europe a half-dozen times, I was intrigued by the Far East, yet slightly leery. But I figured at least I'd be taller than most of the huge population. Imagine one-third the U.S. population crammed onto an island the size of California. While Tokyo was an extremely crowded city filled with an endless supply of skyscrapers and apartments that extended on top of each other and into tomorrow, I did discover a fascinating culture of friendly people -- both traditional and westernized. But I was truly happiest when the bullet train finally left Tokyo station and headed north to wide open rural spaces. While I could write an intriguing Atlantic-Monthly-sized travelogue of our adventures, I'll Readers Digest-icize it to keep you scrolling without boredom - Japan agriculture faces many challenges. A shrinking and aging population (average farmer age is 65 with 1.75 hectares) of farm owners/workers, decreasing total ag output due to decline in prices under globalization, increasing acreage abandonment of cultivated land and a continuous decline in food self-sufficiency (now 39%). Their self-sufficiency goal is 50% by 2015. - Agricultural area of Japan is 13% of total acres (4.8 million hectares of 37.8 total). Forest comprises 67% of Japan. Ag output consists of 30% livestock, 24% vegetables, 23% rice, 8% fruit, 5% flowers, 5% other, 2% wheat/barley, 2% potatoes, 1% beans. - Sticky white rice formed into balls and rolls, along with fish staring at you, is not a favorite daily breakfast of mine. Nor for lunch AND dinner, too. But the beef tongue was tolerable - and welcomed. - University research and the government are trying to improve efficiency among farmers --and those who comply will receive more support. Case in point, we witnessed an impressive field demonstration of a university-developed GPS-guided driverless rice transplanter -- but they stated it could be 10 years before it is commercially ready! - Food safety is a big issue in Japan, as consumers demand fresh, safe and secure food free of GMOs (but they're not all willing to pay top Yen for them). The government enforces strict standards to ensure this -- at least in some products but not all. - There are 1,800 different brands/types of sake (rice wine) -- but we only sampled 20 (I think -- but some multiple times). Sorry also to report that we didn't quite get all trade issues resolved. - Japan defends its price support system -- like most countries -- especially in the rice, dairy and beef areas of concern. They claim very low tariffs (3%) on 90% of their items. But yet they ban U.S. beef, and they charge 490% tariff on rice, 330% on butter and 200% on milk powder. - Japan is currently implementing a new "Farm Management Stabilization Program" designed to accelerate structural reform of agriculture by focusing on the best, most efficient farmers. They will have management plans certified by local municipal governments, and will be rewarded. - And finally, I witnessed first hand how music is truly a universal language when our group of global ag journalists gathered about the piano for group karaoke -- led by Mike Wilson, Den Gardner and Owen Roberts (of AAEA house band "Quasimojo" fame) at the keyboard. Classic British/American rock and folk filled the air, as did some Irish tunes and more. But the strongest song of the night, with lyrics that everyone knew by heart and belted out, was "Take Me Home Country Roads." I'd highly recommend you add the annual IFAJ Congress to your list of things to attend before you write that last byline. The friends, contacts and memories are worth every dollar -- or Yen, in this case. Kurt Lawton, freelance journalist/strategist/photographer, Stellar Content, can be reached at 952-221-2776 or kurt@stellarcontent.biz.
Reflecting on a Japanese Experience By Lilian Schaer Welcome to the Land of Mizhou -- that was the theme of the first-ever Asian congress of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ), hosted by the Japanese Agricultural Journalists Association this past September. For me, a Canadian farm writer with limited knowledge of Asia, this trip to Japan was one of insights: into Japan's unique culture that is so different from ours, and into Japanese agriculture, which is a remarkable study in contrasts, not unlike the country itself. Let me explain. History and tradition are very important in Japan and their biggest challenge is to find a way to preserve their ancient ways in the face of globalization and rapidly decreasing profitability of their small and often inefficient farms. Their average farm size is a little more than one hectare (approx. 2.5 acres) and the official government policy to improve the viability of their agricultural sector is one of consolidation. Of the two million farms in Japan currently, the government's plan is to reduce that to about 400,000 by 2015. And with 75 percent of their farmers age 60 or older and few young farmers willing to take over, there is no doubt that interesting times are ahead for agriculture in Japan. Japan's key agricultural outputs include livestock, vegetables and rice, with fruits and flowers rounding out the top five. The country has the lowest food self-sufficiency among major developed countries, at 39 percent, which was highlighted as a national concern by hosts at many different tour stops. This is partially due to a decrease in rice consumption (rice can be a self-sufficient crop in Japan), and an increase in the consumption of livestock products and fats by the Japanese. By comparison, the United States is 122 percent self-sufficient in food. Food safety is one of the main pillars of Japanese agriculture, largely
in response to the concern of the country's consumers. Several food safety-related
scares in recent years have greatly influenced the agri-food industry's
focus on producing safe food: Many different programs and initiatives are underway to allay consumer worries over food safety. For example, a mandatory cattle traceability program assigns each animal a 10-digit identification number. This number follows the animal straight through to the supermarket. A consumer can take that number off a package of meat and look up on the Internet exactly where that animal was born, raised and slaughtered. The cooperative system is a cornerstone of Japanese agriculture. One example we toured was a local farmer's market in Miyagi prefecture (or state) about two hours north of Tokyo. It was a sight to behold: more than three million customers pass through its doors every year. According to market general manager Jin-ichi Sato, only two places in the entire prefecture have three million annual visitors: the market and Sendai (the prefectural capital) train station. The market only sells locally grown products supplied by 276 area farmers, with a single focus on freshness and seasonality. The market, as a major buyer of produce in the area, makes three pledges to its farmers and its customers: Freshness, Extension and Competition. Freshness Vegetables harvested before breakfast are to be delivered to the market by 9 a.m.; those harvested after breakfast are to be delivered by 11 a.m., and those harvested after lunch go to market no later than 3 p.m. for a total of three daily deliveries. This is to ensure that customers can always buy the freshest possible produce. Extension The market works with farmers to teach them production techniques. One of the keys here is encouraging farmers to follow proportioned cultivation to ensure that they will always have fruits and vegetables to deliver. This helps the market have a consistent supply and farmers a consistent income stream. Competition The market strongly urges its farmers not to compete with each other and tries to treat everyone the same. According to general manager Sato, when farmers are competitive with each other, they become envious of the success of others and spend more time focusing on that than on what they are growing. Where does food come from? That is a question many Canadian school children don't know how to answer -- and it's one that stumps Japanese youngsters as well, says Prof Shinichi Kobayashi from the Department of Animal Science at Nihon University. According to Prof. Kobayashi, a survey of Tokyo school children showed that an astonishing 30 percent had no idea whether milk came from cows and bulls or cows only. Alarming indicators like this has led Japanese farmers to start education programs for schools called "animal assisted education," where they bring kids and dairy cows together in an effort to help them learn the answer to that elusive question. In a way it is nice to know that similarities exist between two cultures as different from each other as Japan and Canada -- but it is disappointing that it is the lack of knowledge of where their food comes from that is one of these unifying factors. Overall, Japan was a unique wonderful experience - the people were warm and welcoming, and always helpful, even when language was a barrier. And it was interesting to learn that their agriculture -- although very different compared to Canada or the United States -- is one that struggles with some of the same issues we do, including an aging farm population, a focus on food safety and the drive to promote local food. Lilian Schaer is president of the Eastern Canada Farm Writers' Association and co-chair of the 2011 IFAJ congress in Canada. Read about her IFAJ 2007 experiences at www.agrifoodprojects.ca
Welcome Lucy Bernick AAEA member Jeanne Bernick, crops and issues editor, Farm Journal Media, gave birth to a baby girl named Lucy Marie Bernick on October 12, 2007. She is welcomed by dad, Scott Bernick and sisters, Emma and Sarah Bernick.
New Members Tracey Feist Pat Hill Billy Frey Tom Taylor Rick Jordahl Bill Gergen Lisa Adams Jennifer Bennett Greg Horstmeier |