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Aya Hirata Kimura - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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standards as hybrid forum comparison of the post fukushima radiation standards by a Consumer Cooperative the private sector and the japanese government
International Journal of the Sociology of Agriculture and Food, 2013Co-Authors: Aya Hirata KimuraAbstract:Many have critiqued private food standards as neo-liberalization that reduces the power of government. However, a growing body of literature suggests that government standards do not necessarily result in better outcomes. In fact, some private standards can play a role in the construction of what feminist theorist Nancy Fraser calls ‘counterpublics’, which play an important role in holding the government accountable in late capitalist society. Callon et al.’s notion of a ‘hybrid forum’ is useful in theorizing this democratizing potential of standards. A ‘hybrid forum’ is a space to discuss techno-scientific matters that includes both laypeople and experts, and Callon et al. suggest six criteria (equality, transparency, clarity, intensity, openness, and quality) for judging the degree to which a hybrid forum achieves a democratic discussion on techno-scientific issues. The article uses these criteria to evaluate three standards (government, private sector, and a Consumer Cooperative called Seikatsu Club Consumer Cooperative or SCCC) that are emerging in response to contamination of food by radioactive materials in the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear power plant disasters in Japan. The article finds that the corporate and government standard-setting processes failed to offer meaningful opportunities for democratic debate in comparison with SCCC’s process. The broader theoretical implication of the article is that democratic dialogue is an important aspect of the process of setting food standards, and it should be taken into consideration when the worth of various food standards is evaluated. On 11 march 2011 (hereafter ‘3.11’), a magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit the northern part of Japan. the Fukushima nuclear power plants’ cooling systems faltered and the threat of total meltdown shook the whole nation for several days. As tokyo Electric Power Company (tEPCO) struggled to regain control over the plants, it was forced to release nuclear materials into the environment. As of August 2011, the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan estimated that the Fukushima accidents had released a total of 570 000 tera Bq (becquerel)1 of radioactive substances (Japan Times, 2011). Aya Hirata Kimura is Assistant Professor at the Department of Women’s Studies, university of Hawai’i at manoa, Saunders Hall room 721 G, 2424 maile Way, Honolulu, Hi 96822, uSA; email: . Int. Jrnl. of Soc. of Agr. & Food, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 11–29 iSSN: 0798-1759 this journal is blind refereed. 12 Aya Hirata Kimura it was the largest nuclear power plant accident in Japan, and ranked 7 (the most severe) on a seven-step scale by the international Atomic Energy Agency, comparable to the Chernobyl accident in 1986 (Bradsher et al., 2011). Within a week of the earthquake, reports of contaminated food started to appear. On 19 march, the government announced that it had found contaminated food, and it ordered subsequently the governors of four prefectures to suspend shipment of spinach and milk. Social anxiety heightened as media began to report ‘more and more food found above provisional regulatory values (for radiation in food)’ (Yomiuri Shinbun, 2011b) and ‘25 out of 45 Fukushima vegetables above radioactive standards’ (Mainichi Shinbun, 2011). While the government tried to assuage public concern by saying that consumption of contaminated food ‘will not pose an immediate threat to health’, as chief cabinet secretary yukio Edano repeated in press conferences, the panic did not subside (Bvelson and tabuchi, 2011). there was profound confusion as to what ought to be considered acceptable radiation limits in food. there was no government standard to begin with, so the government had to come up with what it termed ‘provisionary’ standards. But many citizens felt that they were not strict enough and doubted their legitimacy. in a defensive move, many Consumers started to avoid any produce from the Fukushima prefecture and the northeastern part of Japan (major agricultural and fishing regions), which resulted in major price drops and panic among producers. At the same time, the notion of ‘harmful rumours (fuhyo higai) was widely used by media and government to censor concerns about food contamination and Consumer panic. Seeing that many Consumers were not satisfied with the provisionary standards of the government, various organizations and corporations started to create their own standards. this rise of non-governmental radiation standards in Japan after the Fukushima accident presents an interesting space for analysing the implications of the private standards that have proliferated in food systems around the world. Scholars have increasingly critiqued non-governmental food standards as part of the process of neo-liberalization that shrinks government regulatory power, benefits better-off Consumers and bigger producers, and confines people’s identity to that of
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between technocracy and democracy an experimental approach to certification of food products by japanese Consumer Cooperative women
Journal of Rural Studies, 2010Co-Authors: Aya Hirata KimuraAbstract:Abstract Voluntary food certification systems have emerged as a prominent mechanism of food governance in recent years. However, critics have exposed certifications’ inability to secure independence, quality, Consumer trust, and costs. Recent criticism is even more pointed in that some theorists have critiqued “alternative” systems such as Fair Trade as neoliberal window-dressing. What is curious about this emerging literature is how little has been said about the role of citizens. Although most of the certification literature has assumed that food certification resides in the exclusive realm of “experts” and that technical sophistication is equated with improvement, I argue that democratization is possible and desirable. This paper draws on a case study of a Japanese Consumer Cooperative which has conducted a laywomen's food certification system for past ten years. By proposing at least two parameters of evaluation of food certification—redistributive effect and the degree of democratization, the paper expands the imaginary of “politics of the possible” in food governance while acknowledging tension of gendered participation.
Magali Boespflug - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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what place for the cooperator in the last large Consumer Cooperative in france
Revue des Organisations Responsables (ROR), 2020Co-Authors: Magali Boespflug, Philippe Pasquet, Bruno Mazieres, Isabelle SauviatAbstract:This paper aims at questioning the singular position of the cooperator stakeholder in a Consumer Cooperative. In order to address this issue in depth, a single case study with a hybrid qualitative methodology and an abductive approach have been chosen. The framework of ubiquity has been retained for its ability to raise the issue of the multiple roles of cooperators. Results suggest that this stakeholder category is not homogeneous. Various subcategories need to be considered depending on cooperation, working status and engagement of Consumers in the company. Moreover, detailed discrepancies in terms of sharing of the added value and a complexification of governance are observed.
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French Consumer Co-operatives: Pioneers of French Modern Distribution
2019Co-Authors: Magali Boespflug, Bruno MazieresAbstract:Purpose This research aims at explaining how Consumer Cooperatives have been pioneers of modern distribution in France. These companies issued from the 19 th century socialist utopia provided the basis for both modern marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) principles. Using an historical approach, we will introduce the different Cooperative innovations that were finally adopted by the main actors of the French distribution sector. The case: French Consumer Cooperatives The choice of this specific type of company has been motivated by different reasons. First, it is a very old form of distribution. Indeed, even if it has been developed on a larger scale and on a sustainable way by the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers in England during the 19 th century, the very first one was developed in Lyon (France) in 1835 by the "Canuts" [silk industry workers]. This form of Cooperative originated in social movements led by unsatisfied customers. Then, its legal status is original for a Consumer Cooperative belongs to its customers (the so-called members or co-operators) in charge of marketing goods at a fair price and ensuring the sustainability of the Cooperative. Lastly, Consumer Cooperatives have been leaders of the French distribution sector from the 19 th century to the 1980s. Methodology Data collection was based on both primary and secondary sources. Relevant information was taken from literature about the Cooperative sector and the French distribution industry. We also had access to the archives of Coop Atlantique (the most important remaining French Consumer Cooperative) and public archives. This documentary research work was completed by several semi-directive individual interviews and focus groups with different Consumer Cooperative stakeholders, such as customers, co-operators, employees, and managers (active and retired). We also organized and were part of seminars on Cooperatives , which gave us the opportunity to interact with both professional (co-operative managers or members of Cooperative federations) and academic (researchers in History, Economy, Marketing and Semiology) stakeholders. Consumer Cooperatives as pioneers We were able to identify two fields in which French Consumer Cooperatives could be considered as pioneers in France: marketing practices and societal orientation. Consumer Cooperatives as pioneers in marketing practices Consumer Cooperatives are behind numerous marketing innovations regarding price, product, distribution or promotion policies. In terms of price, a first idea came directly from the roots of Consumer Cooperatives. Indeed, first members were workers unable to buy food items made too expensive by the industrialization of France and its effect on the reduction of food-crop production.
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stakeholder recognitionin a Consumer Cooperative
2015Co-Authors: Magali Boespflug, Philippe Pasquet, Isabelle SauviatAbstract:Stakeholder theory allows expectation studies and shared value analysis between the different actors connected to the organization. The case of a mass-market retailing sector Consumer Cooperative shows remarkable stakeholder recognition, specifically customer-cooperator. Paradoxically, the Cooperative model does not allow to reconcile the various stakeholder expectations, nor obtain a fair value distribution. On the contrary, the model create complexity and the customer-cooperator seems to be a badly known stakeholder, difficult to mobilize.
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stakeholder recognitionin a Consumer Cooperative la reconnaissance des parties prenantes dans une Cooperative de consommation
Post-Print, 2015Co-Authors: Magali Boespflug, Philippe Pasquet, Isabelle SauviatAbstract:Stakeholder theory allows expectation studies and shared value analysis between the different actors connected to the organization. The case of a mass-market retailing sector Consumer Cooperative shows remarkable stakeholder recognition, specifically customer-cooperator. Paradoxically, the Cooperative model does not allow to reconcile the various stakeholder expectations, nor obtain a fair value distribution. On the contrary, the model create complexity and the customer-cooperator seems to be a badly known stakeholder, difficult to mobilize.
Isabelle Sauviat - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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what place for the cooperator in the last large Consumer Cooperative in france
Revue des Organisations Responsables (ROR), 2020Co-Authors: Magali Boespflug, Philippe Pasquet, Bruno Mazieres, Isabelle SauviatAbstract:This paper aims at questioning the singular position of the cooperator stakeholder in a Consumer Cooperative. In order to address this issue in depth, a single case study with a hybrid qualitative methodology and an abductive approach have been chosen. The framework of ubiquity has been retained for its ability to raise the issue of the multiple roles of cooperators. Results suggest that this stakeholder category is not homogeneous. Various subcategories need to be considered depending on cooperation, working status and engagement of Consumers in the company. Moreover, detailed discrepancies in terms of sharing of the added value and a complexification of governance are observed.
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stakeholder recognitionin a Consumer Cooperative
2015Co-Authors: Magali Boespflug, Philippe Pasquet, Isabelle SauviatAbstract:Stakeholder theory allows expectation studies and shared value analysis between the different actors connected to the organization. The case of a mass-market retailing sector Consumer Cooperative shows remarkable stakeholder recognition, specifically customer-cooperator. Paradoxically, the Cooperative model does not allow to reconcile the various stakeholder expectations, nor obtain a fair value distribution. On the contrary, the model create complexity and the customer-cooperator seems to be a badly known stakeholder, difficult to mobilize.
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stakeholder recognitionin a Consumer Cooperative la reconnaissance des parties prenantes dans une Cooperative de consommation
Post-Print, 2015Co-Authors: Magali Boespflug, Philippe Pasquet, Isabelle SauviatAbstract:Stakeholder theory allows expectation studies and shared value analysis between the different actors connected to the organization. The case of a mass-market retailing sector Consumer Cooperative shows remarkable stakeholder recognition, specifically customer-cooperator. Paradoxically, the Cooperative model does not allow to reconcile the various stakeholder expectations, nor obtain a fair value distribution. On the contrary, the model create complexity and the customer-cooperator seems to be a badly known stakeholder, difficult to mobilize.
Kazuhiko Mikami - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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raising capital by issuing transferable membership in a Consumer Cooperative
International Journal of Social Economics, 2015Co-Authors: Kazuhiko MikamiAbstract:Purpose - – It is generally recognized that Consumer Cooperatives are at a disadvantage when raising capital as compared to conventional capitalist firms. The purpose of this paper is to explore a method for Consumer Cooperatives to issue transferable membership shares as financial securities and raise non-redeemable equity. The author examines if such a method can strengthen the financial viability of Consumer Cooperatives in the market economy. Design/methodology/approach - – The author first explain the mechanism by using diagrams of the circular flow of factors of production and the product. The author then developed a simple formal model and compare the amount of equity capital raised by a capitalist firm and a Consumer Cooperative. Findings - – The author found that the amount of equity that a Consumer Cooperative can raise by issuing shares of membership is greater than the amount of equity that a capitalist firm can raise by issuing shares of stock. Research limitations/implications - – More research effort is required to apply the theory discussed in this paper for practical use. Social implications - – Consumer Cooperatives have many good features that conventional capitalist firms do not have. However, the scale and scope of Consumer Cooperatives have been quite limited partly because of the problem of finance. The method presented in this paper is expected to improve the financial viability of Consumer Cooperatives and promotes their activities in the market economy. Originality/value - – This paper regards the membership of a Consumer Cooperative as a kind of financial security and as a tool for procuring capital for investment. As far as the author knows, the present paper is the first one that presents such a concept.
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capital procurement of a Consumer Cooperative role of the membership market
Economic Systems, 2010Co-Authors: Kazuhiko MikamiAbstract:Cooperative firms are commonly thought to be financially weak and unable to flourish in the market economy. This paper addresses the idea that a Consumer Cooperative issues a membership, which represents an ownership share in the Cooperative, as a method of procuring equity capital. It then shows that, in theory, Consumer Cooperatives are not necessarily financially weaker than investor-owned firms in the presence of a membership market. This implies that the Consumer Cooperative is potentially a promising alternative to the investor-owned firm when the latter type of firm induces serious market failure in the product market.
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Enterprise forms, ownership markets, and capital procurement of the firm
2007Co-Authors: Kazuhiko MikamiAbstract:It is often argued that Cooperative firms are financially less viable than ivestor-owned firms. From a fundamental point of view, however, this does not seem a fair comparison, since the market for firm ownership is usually only available to investor-owned firms in our economy. This paper examines potential roles of the market for ownership rights to Cooperative firms, particularly in capital procurement of the firm. We sho that, with a well-functioning membership market, Consumer Cooperatives are not necessarily financially weaker than investor-owned firms. The Consumer Cooperative can thus be a promising alternative to the investor-owned firm when the latter type of firm induces some serious market failure in the product market.
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Asymmetric Information and the Form of Enterprise: Capitalist Firms and Consumer Cooperatives
Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics-zeitschrift Fur Die Gesamte Staatswissenschaft, 2007Co-Authors: Kazuhiko MikamiAbstract:This paper examines the implication of different enterprise forms -- capitalist firm and Consumer Cooperative -- for the level of accident risks, assuming informational asymmetry between the firm and the outside trader. Our conclusion is that, in order to reduce accident risks, we should choose an enterprise form that gives the firm's management rights to those who would incur the most substantial loss in case of an accident. This result depends upon how effectively the mechanism of signaling works under the firms, given a certain distribution of expected losses over individuals.
Katia Sycara - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Demand side energy management via multiagent coordination in Consumer Cooperatives
Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research, 2014Co-Authors: Andreas Veit, Ying Xu, Ronghuo Zheng, Nilanjan Chakraborty, Katia SycaraAbstract:A key challenge in creating a sustainable and energy-efficient society is to make Consumer demand adaptive to the supply of energy, especially to the renewable supply. In this article, we propose a partially-centralized organization of Consumers (or agents), namely, a Consumer Cooperative that purchases electricity from the market. In the Cooperative, a central coordinator buys the electricity for the whole group. The technical challenge is that Consumers make their own demand decisions, based on their private demand constraints and preferences, which they do not share with the coordinator or other agents. We propose a novel multiagent coordination algorithm, to shape the energy demand of the Cooperative. To coordinate individual Consumers under incomplete information, the coordinator determines virtual price signals that it sends to the Consumers to induce them to shift their demands when required. We prove that this algorithm converges to the central optimal solution and minimizes the electric energy cost of the Cooperative. Additionally, we present results on the time complexity of the iterative algorithm and its implications for agents' incentive compatibility. Furthermore, we perform simulations based on real world consumption data to (a) characterize the convergence properties of our algorithm and (b) understand the effect of differing demand characteristics of participants as well as of different price functions on the cost reduction. The results show that the convergence time scales linearly with the agent population size and length of the optimization horizon. Finally, we observe that as participants' flexibility of shifting their demands increases, cost reduction increases and that the cost reduction is not sensitive to variation in consumption patterns of the Consumers.
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AAAI - Multiagent coordination for energy consumption scheduling in Consumer Cooperatives
2013Co-Authors: Andreas Veit, Ying Xu, Ronghuo Zheng, Nilanjan Chakraborty, Katia SycaraAbstract:A key challenge to create a sustainable and energy-efficient society is in making Consumer demand adaptive to energy supply, especially renewable supply. In this paper, we propose a partially-centralized organization of Consumers, namely, a Consumer Cooperative for purchasing electricity from the market. We propose a novel multiagent coordination algorithm to shape the energy consumption of the Cooperative. In the Cooperative, a central coordinator buys the electricity for the whole group and Consumers make their own consumption decisions based on their private consumption constraints and preferences. To coordinate individual Consumers under incomplete information, we propose an iterative algorithm in which a virtual price signal is sent by the coordinator to induce Consumers to shift demand. We prove that our algorithm converges to the central optimal solution. Additionally we analyze the convergence rate of the algorithm via simulations on randomly generated instances. The results indicate scalability with respect to the number of agents and consumption slots.