On Saturday, October 26th, three first-year students and two second-year students from Global Food Business Program went on a tour of the Munakata Agricultural Cooperative (JA Munakata).
The tour began with an explanation by JA Munakata staff of the cooperative's business overview and the details of each task. After that, the agricultural staff explained various initiatives related to the agricultural field, such as the current situation and innovations in "Amaou" cultivation, the growing demand for frozen fruits and vegetables, and the overseas export of agricultural products.
In addition, on the same day, the group visited the JA Munakata Agricultural Festival, an event where JA staff and local producers promote local consumption through agriculture and food, and toured the agricultural equipment exhibition and booths selling local crops and processed foods. They also enjoyed lunch made with local ingredients at the Wagamachi Shokudo restaurant run by each of the JA branches.
Miura Miura (Miyazaki Commercial High School), a first-year GFBP student (Faculty of Collaborative Regional Development), said, "Through this visit, I learned about the deep ties between JA Munakata and the local community. I also learned that behind the vegetables, fruits, and other products that are usually on store shelves, there are the struggles and efforts of people involved in agriculture. I was particularly impressed by the story about how strawberry production sites are affected by consumer demand and climate change, so if I have the opportunity to talk to producers during future fieldwork, I would like to hear stories from that perspective as well."
[Global Food Business Program]
