GOING to Tokyo to learn about agriculture appeared as strange as going to Russia to learn Samoan. I was not alone in this sentiment, as 50 young rural leaders gathered at the Mecure hotel in Auckland (for many delegates, this was a city experience in itself) there was confusion as to what the Japanese Government expected to gain from putting them up in a hotel in Tokyo for a week and in Sapporo for three days .
It was obvious from the onset the trip would cost the Japanese hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Initial talks by members from the Japan-New Zealand Business Council (JNZBC), Murray Sherwin, director general Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youth Scholarships (JENSEY) Programme leaders, attempted to settle these questions for the group.
The simple message was: Japan doesn’t do business like us.
In the pre-departure conference in New Zealand’s main centre, the speakers drew a picture of a loyal nation where business transactions and relationships were built over a long period of time and were focused on trust, security of supply, and quality. All of which came before profitability.
Being the world’s second biggest economy, there’s a strong argument that while it appears well, odd to us, there could be lessons to be learnt.
Managing director of JNZBC Tony Boot described New Zealand’s trade relationship with the second biggest importing market in the world as a “pimple on a pumpkin”.
“[It’s] hard to get out there and wave the New Zealand flag easily,” he said.
But a group of young people from organisations (that range from Young Farmers to Ag-researchers) appeared have been given that opportunity at the Japanese Government’s expense and hospitality.
Culturally, it became apparent New Zealanders couldn’t believe there wasn’t an ulterior motive.
We’ve been brought up believing, nothing comes for free, and the 2000-word report we have to submit when we get home, didn’t seem enough.
The speakers, while reiterating we didn’t have to do anything that had a political undercurrent, gave the sentiment that until the subsidised farmers of Japan were confident they would not be negatively impacted by a Fair Trade Agreement with New Zealand. There wouldn’t be one.
Executive Committee Member of the JNZBC and a 2008 participant on a similar tour, Andrew Hamilton told the delegates there would be “no [Fair Trade Agreement with Japan] until the paranoia of our farmers trying to screw Japanese farmers dissipates”.
But it’s ridiculously far-fetched to think in a traditional loyal nation such as Japan, a bunch of enthusiastic friendly, young agriculturalists were going to quell the fears of millions of farmers in less than two weeks.
Although it may seem weird to citizens from a country so focused on immediate profit goals and margins, the most logical conclusion is that we are on an agricultural tour which is part of a long-term plan of fostering strong trade relations between Japan and New Zealand.
I will keep you posted.
* Rachael is attending seminars at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and her next blog will be on Agri-Culture - the difference between Japan and New Zealand’s farming philosophies.
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