“Bitter Truth of Sweet Bananas,” a DVD on the reality of the banana production in the Philippines, was released by Pacific Asia Resource Center (PARC). The 78-minutes documentary film about the bananas produced for the Japanese market features the predicaments of the local banana farmers with agrichemicals aerial spraying and unfair contracts with enterprises, for example, and the futures of the initiatives to support the local farmers. PARC calls the public to see the film and “think about the relationships between Japan and the Philippines and also about the food.” The theme of documentary is the problems on the production site relating to, for example, agricultural chemicals and contracts with…
GM Food Labelling Changes
Consumer Affairs Agency holds explanatory meeting for GM food labelling changes The Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA), in step with proposed changes in GM food labelling, has held explanatory meetings starting in Tokyo and moving on to Sendai, Osaka, Fukuoka, Sapporo, Okayama and Nagoya. CAA has also solicited opinions from the general public at the same time. The current proposed changes would lower the detection limit value (to almost zero) at which labels such as “Non-GM” or “GM soybeans not used” can be affixed to food packaging. There is strong opposition to this proposal from not only consumers but also the soybean industry, general trading companies and others. From CBIC…
CUJ has Started an Environmental Working Group
Much of CUJ’s work takes place in our working groups. They are the way for interested members to push for campaigns on a range of topics. The working groups are important for our office staff as a source of knowledge and inspiration for further action. Now we have started a new working group to focus on environmental issues. What kind of issues? Well, that is a good question. At the first meeting, among the suggestions we are currently considering are microplastics, the construction of the “linear” maglev train between Nagoya and Tokyo, electromagnetic radiation, agricultural practices, and energy production (especially electricity/nuclear power) and “local production/local consumption” and its related challenges…
Japan Resources – No 172
Please click here CUJ-JR-172 for the latest issue of Japan Resources, our English newsletter. This time, we wonder if there isn’t more we can all do to help fight the obvious changes in climate, that caused extreme heat and strong typhoons this year. We hope you will continue to stay updated with CUJ’s activities and news on our English website, and support our campaigns! Contents: International Symposium: Report from South Korea Meeting About Labelling of GM Food In the News: “Gov’t committee’s GMO deregulation proposal too hasty: consumer groups, experts” Essay: The Bizarre World of Plastics Fact Sheet: Status of Genome Editing in Japan Channel Nishoren Now on Youtube!
Fact Sheet: Status of Genome Editing in Japan
Fact sheet from Consumers Union of Japan In September 2018, CUJ participated in the GMO Free Europe Conference in Berlin, Germany. One of the big topics right now is genome editing, which has called the applicability of the current regulatory framework for Genetically Modified Organisms into question. We published this fact sheet to inform others around the world about the debate in Japan. Click here to download the pdf file.