Professor Akira Kurimoto is one of the author’s and editor of the book Waking the Asian Pacific Cooperative Potential. He is also the Founder of the Asia Pacific Cooperative Research Partnership, with Dr. Jensen; and Chair of the ICA-AP Research Committee. Prof. Kurimoto shares his insights on the book regarding cooperative development, especially in light of the COVID19 situation around the world.
Q 1. How did you get involved with the book?
I got involved in the project that was crystallised in the publication when I met Anthony Jensen on the occasion of the ICA-AP Regional Assembly, held in Bali in 2014. We talked on the Asian cooperative model based on my paper “Mainstreaming Asian Cooperative Studies”, that I presented as a keynote speaker at the ICA-AP Research Conference held in Mysore University in 2013. We were enthusiastic in creating an Asia-Pacific cooperative scholarship and decided to create the Asia Pacific Cooperative Research Partnership (APCRP) as an engine for collaborative efforts. Then Jensen served as a project manager and we met in Bangkok, Pune, Delhi, Seoul and Newcastle. In the meantime, Morris Altman made arrangements with the publisher in Oxford and contributed to the publication.
Q 2. What are the main differences between the Asian and European cooperative models?
Asian cooperatives have been strongly influenced by the European counterparts through immigration, colonisation and knowledge transfer, including technical assistance since the mid nineteenth century. However, they have evolved differently under a stronger state involvement and dominant socio-economic circumstances. Since Asia is so diverse in terms of political systems, level of development, culture and religion, it is very difficult to make any kind of generalisation. However, we can identify the Asian cooperative features vis-a-vis the European model; collective tradition and community orientation that are conducive to create some unique cooperative models.
Q 3. What would you attribute to cooperatives that were successful and those that did not do well?
There are some attributes that contribute to creating successful cooperatives; relevance to member’s needs, member’s participation, quality of leadership, and a favourable environment. The extent these attributes lead to success largely differ among cases. For instance, the Japanese and South Korean consumer cooperatives have succeeded thanks to members’ participation under the unfavourable legal/political environment, while favourable public policies contributed to the rapid expansion of Singaporean and Vietnamese cooperatives. The former can learn from the advanced knowhow of modern retail formats of the latter, while the latter may learn from the member participation and social movement dimensions of the former.
Q 4. During your research, did you find something about the cooperative model that you had not come across before?
I found unique cooperative models in agricultural, financial and workers’ cooperatives. In particular, the Amul dairy cooperative in India has been well organised in federations at district, state and national levels to accomplish economies of scale while maintaining grassroots of small farmers breeding a few cows. Credit unions in the Philippines and Indonesia are uplifting farmers and SMEs lives through affordable financial services, while extending help to other types of cooperatives. Workers cooperatives are late bloomers but increasingly contribute to job creation and decent work in many places.
Q 5. What is the future of consumer cooperatives in the region, especially in light of the socio-economic changes imposed by COVID19?
It is very difficult to predict the future of consumer cooperatives in the region. It is largely dependent on the changes in public policies and socio-economic environment, in addition to active member participation and the capacity of leadership of future generations. Cooperatives grown from grassroots may survive and thrive if they can maintain relevance to member’s needs, while those which have been supported by governments may face challenges if supportive public policies change. We don’t know how the socio-economic changes imposed by COVID19 may impact consumer cooperatives, but they need to be responsive to the new environment to serve member’s needs.
Q6. Where do you see opportunities that cooperatives can capitalise on during these times? Could you locate this in 1) in the Japanese context and 2) for cooperatives in the region?
1. In the Japanese context
Japan has witnessed the constant decrease of food self-sufficiency ratio because of expanding import and weakening domestic production basis. Most multinational retailers made inroads in one of the largest consumer markets in recent decades with mixed results. The COVID crisis reminded many Japanese of the importance of the domestic food production and distribution. It is up to cooperatives whether they can capitalise on such opportunities by modernising agriculture and improving the food supply chain.
2. For cooperatives in the region
The Rehman shock and COVID pandemic have revealed the inherent problems in the neoliberal reforms pursued in these decades. Now we can observe some setbacks from excessive globalisation. Many multinational retailers have withdrawn from rapidly expanding consumer markets in the region. The disrupted international trade of food might cause serious problems in food security in importing countries. Here we can see the opportunities in consumer and agricultural cooperatives in the age of successive crises.
