Table 1 Practice and philosophy of organic agriculture in Japan
Natural farming (shizen nōhō) | Organic agriculture (yūki nōgyō)/teikei | Consumer cooperatives | Government policy and standardization | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The First Period (1930s to 1980s) | The Second Period (since the 1990s) | |||
Practice | ・No pesticide nor fertilizer ・No tillage ・Self seed collection ・Crop rotation | ・Production of various crop types ・All products to be consumed ・Price fixed through the discussion by producers and consumers ・A group will not be too large by forming new groups. | ・Producer groups ・Decreased use of food additives and chemicals ・Exclusion of socially problematized chemicals ・Decreased amount of pesticide ・Inspection of pesticide residues | ・Regulation on chemical fertilizer, pesticide, and genetically modified material |
Philosophy | ・Respect for nature ・Phenomenology with fire, land, and water ・Keeping land clean ・Link among nature, food, and health ・Symbiosis with nature | ・Mutual help and understanding between farmers and consumers | ・Anxiety about food additives and remained pesticide ・Registered producers ・Production methods are open. ・Communication between producers and consumers | ・Avoid the confusion of labels |