Abstract

What has economics forgotten in its pursuit of “economic growth”? When we take a fresh look at areas that do not generate profit—such as cooking, housework, and the natural environment—we find that they in fact sustain both our daily lives and the economy. Within them exist ideas and practices of "Keisei Saimin"—serving the people and nurturing society—that do not harm either people or nature. Rather than leaving everything to corporations or governments, this book invites us to rethink and rebuild the systems of our shared “commons.”

Author’s Information

Midori Hiraga is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Economics at Kyoto Tachibana University. Originally from Hiroshima. After she graduated from International Christian University in 1994, she studied at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. While working for a newspaper company, a financial institution, and an organic farming company, she co-founded the handmade project "Journey to Forever" in 1997, where she planned and managed citizen activities addressing food, agriculture, and environmental issues. In 2011, she moved on to graduate school, obtaining a Master's degree in Food and Nutrition Policy from City University London and a PhD in Economics from Kyoto University. Her research focuses on the history of food and capitalism, and the political economy of food, particularly vegetable oils. She is the East Asia Regional Representative Director of the International Association of Sociology's Agricultural, Food and Social Sciences Section (ISA RC40). She also participates in citizen activities such as AM Net, the Association for Thinking About the Disposable Age, Environmental Citizens, the West Japan Agroecology Association, and Municipalism Kyoto. His published works include "Modern Society as Learned from Food" (2024), "World History as Learned from Food" (2021), "The Political Economy of Vegetable Oils" (2019), and "A Business History of Soy" (2024).