Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
While there were several differences, the most notable difference involved the use
of chemicals. At the time, farmers got their fry from hatcheries where antibiotics
were commonly applied. Furthermore, farmers often used chemical pesticides in
their ponds to kill predatory animals such as snakes. In contrast, SN and co-
op members viewed sustainable farming as entailing no chemical use. However,
rather than imposing their position on farmers, SN and co-op members engaged
in discussions with farmers to develop standards on chemical use that might be
acceptable to both parties. The result was a compromise where the Japanese co-op
members accepted the use of antibiotics at the hatcheries, given that local levels of
technology greatly limited the ability to produce fry without antibiotics. In return,
the farmers agreed not to use chemicals once the shrimp fry were released into the
ponds. Thus, given the differences that had to be bridged, standards development
was viewed as an ongoing, evolutionary process.
Implementing the standards was viewed as responsibility of farmers. Conse-
quently, farmer compliance with the standards was not formally monitored. Rather,
efforts to enforce sustainable farming practices primarily took the form of trying
to build relationships between farmers and co-op members and establish trust. Such
efforts included annual visits to the pond community in Bojokulu by co-op members
and visits by some farmers to Japan. On the one hand, a group of representatives
from the co-op would visit the pond community in Bojokulu where they met with
farmers, took part in harvesting activities, and discussed the project and its goals.
As the following two quotes from farmers indicate, farmers respected the co-op
members for coming to Bojokulu. One farmer commented,
At least once a year, they came here. They tried to listen to our story. They had tolerance.
They at least tried to understand us, and our conditions. Therefore, we also tried to
understand them.
A second farmer similarly remarked,
We were very happy if consumers actually came to our pond and tried to know our difficulty
and environment of production. It encouraged us to produce better shrimp. It's human-to-
human relationship, right? We all liked that.
On the other hand, farmers from the project were invited to Japan once or twice
a year. Such visits included tours to see how their shrimp were handled once they
arrived in the co-op stores in Japan. Farmers would also meet with co-op members,
where they would discuss co-op's principles and the shrimp project. Additionally,
co-op members prepared meals using shrimp from the sustainable shrimp project,
which they would then eat together. When each group returned home they were
expected to share their experiences and perspectives. Thus, in its early stages
the project emphasized communication and dialogue between farmers and co-op
members and made significant efforts to build relationships. Given such efforts,
there was a high level of trust and respect between farmers and co-op members.
In early 2000, the sustainable shrimp project began to undergo significant
changes. At the time, a European buyer approached SN about purchasing sustain-
ably produced shrimp. While interested in shrimp from the project, the European
buyer preferred the project have organic certification from a third party certifier. The
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