March 30 (Sat) – Tomoko Arakawa, Director of ARI, speaks at a Symposium “Farmers and Tomorrow’s Table”

March 25, 2024
Raku Izawa

The Japanese government has set a plan to increase the cultivated land for organic farming in Japan to 1 million hectares by 2050, 40 times the current level.

There is a serious shortage of bearers in agriculture, and the increase in abandoned farmland has become a social problem in Japan.

If this situation continues, farmers may disappear before more land is cultivated for organic farming.

To protect the global environment and abundant food for the future, a symposium will be held to discuss what can be done now by both farmers and eaters to protect the global environment and abundant food.

Tomoko Arakawa will speak at the symposium as the Director of ARI, a learning center for world rural leaders which practices “Peace from the Soil” under the motto “To Live Together”. She will be joined with Keiichi Furuya, Chairman of Furuya Agricultural Products, and Hiroko Nakashita, Representative Director of the National Council against Dioxin and Environmental Hormone, to discuss with those in attendance.

Date: Saturday, March 30, 2024, 13:00-15:00 (doors open 12:30)

Place: Training Room D, Ohtawara City Shogai Gakushu Center, Tochigi Prefecture

Admission: Free

Men's Dormitory & Guest House

Participants and volunteers live in separate dormitories for men and women. The dormitory includes shared lounges, kitchens, showers, and laundry facilities. Wi-Fi is not available.

Poultry House

The poultry facilities include free-range chicken coops and a brooding house. More than 400 chickens are raised, producing over 80,000 eggs and approximately one ton of chicken meat each year.

Pig Pen

Participants learn a variety of pig farming techniques through hands-on practice. Both deep-litter and concrete-floor systems are used, and manure is recycled into biogas and fertilizer.

Goat House

Goat milk (over 200 liters annually) and meat are used for food, while manure is used as fertilizer. During the day, the goats roam freely in the pasture.

Forest

The forests surrounding the campus are managed through selective thinning for firewood and charcoal production. Leaves and other organic materials are collected for use in agriculture.

Fields

On 2.5 hectares of farmland, approximately 100 varieties of vegetables and crops are grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. The entire community helps manage the fields as part of its commitment to learning and self-sufficiency.

Rice Paddies

Rice is cultivated in paddies both on and off campus. Various organic rice-growing methods are studied and practiced, including weed control and fertilization using ducks.

Workshop

The workshop is a space for repair and recycling activities. It contains machinery, welding equipment, woodworking tools, and a variety of materials.

Feed Mixing Room

Livestock feed is produced here using both manual and mechanical methods. Continuous efforts are made to improve feed quality and sustainability.

Administration Building

The first floor houses the reception area and administrative offices, while the second floor contains staff offices and the Director’s office. The Farm Shop (Agricultural Training Room) is located adjacent to the building.

ARI Shop

The shop offers ARI-grown produce, processed foods, books, and handicrafts from the home countries of ARI graduates.

Farm Shop (Agricultural Training Room)

The facility serves as the hub of agricultural activities at ARI. It includes classrooms, storage for tools and farming materials, and facilities for drying and storing crops.

Oikos Chapel

Originally a 100-year-old traditional farmhouse, the chapel has been renovated into a place of worship. Daily morning gatherings are held here, along with meditation, dialogue sessions, gospel choir practice, and other community activities. Oikos is a Greek word meaning “home.”

Manna House (Food Processing Room)

This facility is used for producing and storing processed foods such as cookies and jam. The ground floor also contains a poultry processing facility.

Fish Ponds

Fish are raised for both food and agricultural purposes.