"Ethical Food"

2022/04/27

SDGs have become the new global rules, and all industries must now conduct business based on the premise of sustainability. Looking at the goals set forth by the SDGs, you will notice that the core is ethical consideration for the environment, people, and animals. This ethical consideration is called "ethical." In the West, the ethical consumption movement arose in the 1980s and has grown into a major wave that continues to this day. From my perspective, the SDGs also appear to be a derivative of that context. This book explains ethical consumption with a specific focus on "food."

Why did I write on this theme? I am a member of the second graduating class of SFC, and I am the one who cleared a field on campus and founded "Yaofuji," a club for growing vegetables. Since graduation, I have worked as a food journalist while remaining involved in the distribution of agricultural and livestock products. My theme since my student days has been to increase the income of producers, but in Japan, it is quite difficult because not only consumers but also distributors demand low prices. In the midst of this, 13 years ago, I encountered the wave of ethical consumption in the West and became convinced that if this movement spread, it could increase producers' income. While continuing my work, I enrolled in the Doctoral Programs at the Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, and conducted field research in the UK, a leading region for ethical consumption. What I faced there was a historical and cultural gap between Western and Japanese concepts of "ethical." To put it simply, from a Western ethical perspective, the current situation is that many Japanese food products are "unethical." To bridge this gap and have Japanese food recognized as ethical by the world, we must establish a Japanese version of "ethical" while understanding Western perspectives. This book provides hints on what is necessary for that.

Many Keio University alumni are likely involved in the world of food. To promote Japan's valuable food products and dining services to the world, it is necessary to appeal not only to "Japanese-style merits" but also to "Japanese merits based on global trends." To present Japanese food culture to the world with pride, an overall upgrade is required. I hope this book will be of some help.

"Ethical Food"

Kenji Yamamoto

Kadokawa Shinsho

256 pages, 990 yen (tax included)

*Affiliations and titles are as of the time of publication.