- Signpost called "history" to grasp the structure -
Lisa Nagai Senior Assistant Professor Faculty of Economics, Teikyo University
Specializes in environmental history, ecological history, and northeastern Chinese history, and studied abroad in China during Graduate School. In particular, he is well versed in the history of forest business in Northeast China. Rather than mere history, we conduct surveys and research on the historical background from the current state of the economy and resources. Since 2009, he has been a specially appointed researcher at Graduate School Graduate School of Economics, Osaka University, and in 2014, became a Senior Assistant Professor at Dalian University in China. In 2020, he became Senior Assistant Professor at Faculty of Economics, Teikyo University, and teaches environmental economics.
To summarize this report ...
The societies and natural environments of each country and region are easily tossed about by economics, wars, disasters, etc., and there are many issues common to the SDGs.
It is very meaningful to study history in order to know the "cause" of the modern social environment.
Practicing the SDGs is essential. The students realized the importance of practice and started the seminar with the intention of waiting patiently until they found an activity that they could do on their own.
Currently, Nagai's seminar is developing the TFT project, which is an initiative to donate school lunches to developing countries based on the proposals of seminar students, in the cafeteria of Teikyo University.
TFT is an abbreviation for TABLE FOR TWO, a project run by a Japanese NPO. For every meal on the TFT menu, 20 yen for one meal is donated to developing countries. It can be said that it is an introduction to the SDGs.
Seminar students take the lead in planning, managing, and executing on-campus projects.
TFT donates to five East African countries and the Philippines. This year, we focused on Kenya, researching its culture and history, and held an exhibition at the Teikyo University Museum to highlight their current situation.
It is hoped that donations will lead to an increase in the number of people who truly understand the issues raised by the SDGs and take on the challenge of solving them.
Action to know the structure
This time, our seminar conducted TFT activities with the cooperation of the cafeteria on Hachioji Campus of Teikyo University. TFT is an activity developed by a domestic NPO, and stands for TABLE FOR TWO. When one meal of a specific menu is provided, 20 yen for one school lunch is donated to a country in Asia or Africa. The donation recipients are five countries in East Asia and the Philippines, but this year's research target is Kenya. First, we developed a TFT menu together with the management company of the school cafeteria. In addition, we prepared a panel exhibition that summarized Kenya's culture, economic situation, GDP comparison with developed countries, etc., using three places on campus, the museum, the entrance, and the space in front of the school cafeteria. In order to appeal to many students about TFT activities, the idea of changing the contents of the exhibition for each location was born. This project is all planned and managed by seminar students. Basically my cooperation is very little. The results were good, and we were able to provide a certain amount of donations as recognition spread among students. Their knowledge of the SDGs has deepened, and unique know-how has been accumulated as seminar activities.
Why are you doing student-centered activities? Of course we are sincere. In the first place, why is Kenya becoming a country where school lunches cannot be provided without receiving donations? Investigate and understand the historical background, grasp the current situation, and what kind of efforts are actually being made in Japan to improve the situation, and then accurately grasp the value and meaning of TFT. I thought I'd like you to do it. Certainly, donations in developed countries are effective in reducing the burden on developing countries. However, it is more important for developing countries to become self-reliant and continue sustainable development to the extent that support is no longer needed, and it is also consistent with the significance of the SDGs. If the need for donations continues to increase, it can be said that the problem will not be solved and will become more serious. At this point, donations are just charity. Our lives in developed countries depend on the labor force of developing countries from a macroeconomic perspective. That is why we have a responsibility to understand the essential problems and take action to solve the fundamental problems. By working on this project, I hoped that the students would gain new awareness of such things.
Hints from history
My specialty is environmental history and ecological history. I have studied China in particular. When I was in college, I had a short-term study abroad experience in Shanxi, China. The desert is so amazing that there is no shadow of weeds in summer. However, historically it is said to have been a rich forest area. I have a question here. Why didn't we plant trees historically, and why didn't we do anything until this happened? If you follow the old description, it will be research in the area of archaeology. Since ancient Chinese palaces such as Yin and Zhou used huge trees, we know that rich forest resources were utilized. As my research progressed, I learned that the depletion of forest resources in modern times was particularly remarkable. For example, the South Manchurian Railway Co., Ltd., established in the early 1900s, has used vast amounts of timber as a result of laying tracks and various economic activities. Also, during the Russo-Japanese War, China, Russia, and Japan continued to use wood in the same way. These records remain as timber administration, so you can understand the detailed situation by reading the literature.
The relationship between environmental resources and the economy is inseparable. By investigating how forest resources have changed, it is possible to obtain many hints such as economic and social conditions. In this way, my research has broadened its horizons to modern and contemporary times, and now I am specialized in the economic history of the last 100 years or so. 100 years ago and now the situation is even different. For example, the current timber market in northeast China is filled with Russian timber. If you follow the production area, you will enter Russia and will also go to Siberia. The evolution of logistics, such as the construction of railroads, directly connects the Siberian taiga to the world economy, spurring wood consumption. By running cars and roads, the area will be connected to the global economy, and all things will be consumed as resources. There is also traffic that transcends countries and races, and a wide variety of histories are engraved.
Environmental Economics Challenge
Environmental Economics, which I am currently teaching, is a study that analyzes environmental problems from the perspective of economics. It also includes themes of thinking about the necessary policies and how to use tax money efficiently. It can be said that it is a field that is attracting attention in the present age where the perspective of SDGs is required. Of course, there should be criticism that if we think about the environment, we should not be talking about money. However, for example, if we invest an inexhaustible amount of tax money only for global warming countermeasures, we will not be able to solve the countless problems that arise in society. It can be said that the importance of the existence of environmental economics is increasing in order to face the future challenges that will become more serious while emphasizing balance.
Looking at the world, there is an urgent need to establish an economic methodology to promote people's independence in developing countries. It can be said that our area of research is whether people can become rich even without foreign aid and with almost no cash income, and whether there are such means. When I study farming villages in China, I realize that in the past, in places such as Shandong Province, many kinds of crops were grown in order to withstand any changes in the social environment, even if production efficiency was low. If we only focus on connected economic efficiency, we can see that the system will be replaced by a system that has no choice but to produce mainly commercial crops. Due to the large amount of capital, the debt is increased, and in order to repay it, there is no choice but to grow profitable crops. Of course, there are many things that lead to abundance. However, if sales are affected by changes in the market, such as disasters or conflicts, or if crops wither, it is not uncommon for villages to quickly become famine and face an existential crisis. The modern global economy has both strong advantages and disadvantages, and it is difficult to reverse them. To create a new future, we need a new methodology again. How can we create a resilient and independent future in the midst of this historical repetition? That is the challenge facing us.
open the door
The base of the SDGs is extremely deep and complicated if you consider the historical background. On the surface, issues between developed and developing countries that look like economic disparities are often traced back to the colonial era and the history of war. In some ways, it's a situation where the more you take it seriously, the more you get stuck. However, climate change, conflict issues, and energy issues are all urgent situations. We must move forward and transform society. In that respect, activities such as the TFT that we worked on this time simply open the door to getting involved in the SDGs.
We cannot deny the possibility that some of the students who carry out this project will become entrepreneurs who will find employment in companies that act internationally, will be involved in companies that create new energy, and will change society. Nothing in the future is decided yet. History is a series of difficulties and breakthroughs far beyond our imagination. The accumulated wisdom is enormous, and there are still hidden hints to the means of enrichment. If the students involved in this project gain motivation to create a new world, that is the first step in contributing to the realization of the SDGs. I hope that the students will see the world more and more, learn about history and structure, and become a person who will open up a new future.
