In order to protect the health of children, there is a growing movement to incorporate organic and pesticide-free ingredients into school lunches. It is the responsibility of each local government to provide school meals. Therefore, the residents themselves can decide what kind of school lunches they want to have. However, organic agriculture in Japan accounts for only 0.2%* of the total arable land, so it is not easy to promote the use of organic farming in school lunches, including in terms of price. Starting this campaign, we will discuss what is needed to make organic and pesticide-free school lunches a reality. *Area certified as organic by JAS Japanese text here
Urgent Request for Countermeasures Against the New Coronavirus
To: Kato Katsunobu, Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare April 14 2020 Urgent Request for Countermeasures Against the New Coronavirus The government’s measures against the new coronavirus during this period lack the perspective to protect the lives and livelihoods of citizens. From the standpoint of all Japanese citizens, we call for a review of the new coronavirus countermeasures at the government’s expert meeting. 1. Please introduce a simple test kit as soon as possible for early diagnosis The new coronavirus is so contagious that it can be transmitted even if no symptoms are present. At the very least, patients who complain of fever, cough, or taste disorder should be diagnosed…
CUJ: Concerns Regarding Genome Editing of Fish
An article appeared in Tokyo Shimbun on January 24, 2020 that reported on the use of genome editing to exterminate invasive fish. The research is being pushed forward as a study by the National Research Institute of Aquaculture. The article noted that Bluegill was introduced from North America to Japan in around 1960. It fed on everything from crustaceans and insects to young fish and aquatic plants, and had a major impact on the ecosystem, including the disappearance of native species. There was a huge influence in particular in Lake Biwa in Shiga prefecture, where the damage was enormous. The National Research Institute of Aquaculture succeeded in analyzing the genome…
Almost Half a Million Signatures Supporting Our Gene-Editing Petition
Dear Everyone, Date: 14 February 2020 In 2019 Consumers Union of Japan started a petition campaign and collected signatures demanding regulation of all gene-edited foods. Here are the results of the initial stage of the campaign which we have now ended. From May 2019 to November we collected no less than 447,725 signatures in support of the petition. We did not reach our target of 1 million signatures, but we feel strongly that almost half a million signatures in such a short time is a great success, especially since almost no one in Japan seems to have heard of gene-editing or genome editing. We organized an event at the…
Japan Resources – 176
Please click here CUJ-JR-176 for the latest issue of Japan Resources, our English newsletter. This year CUJ celebrated its 50th anniversary and we look forward to another 50 years of activism for health and safety. We hope you will continue to stay updated with CUJ’s activities and news on our English website, and support our campaigns! Contents: From the Editors: The Greta Effect International Film Festival On Organic Farming 2019 GMO Warning by Professor Gilles-Eric Séralini in Tokyo Gene Editing: Human Chain Outside Health Ministry in Tokyo About That Expensive F35 Fighter Jet Please Join Our One Million Signature Petition Campaign: “Regulate All Gene-edited Food!”