On 26 – 31 August, participants went on a study tour around Yamagata, where they split into two groups and visited JA, city halls, farmers and schools in two areas, Okitama and Shonai.

These regions have a long history of local leadership and government involvement in promoting producer- and consumer-friendly organic farming. Participants learned various things, from predecessors’ philosophy to systems of JA to protect farmers, as well as gender issues for women in agriculture.

In between observations and sharing sessions, participants helped each other  to cook and clean, and also enjoyed interacting with the local people through singing, dancing and eating together.

On the first day, the bus broke down and they were stuck on a highway for five hours, but everyone was protected and they were able to complete their six-day trip safely.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to all the people who warmly welcome our participants every year. Thank you very much!