CUJ JR 154 (pdf) Japan Resources No 154 Thank you for visiting the English web site of Consumers Union of Japan. We have recently renewed our Japanese web site to better reflect all our campaigns both domestically and internationally. Consumers Union of Japan (NPO Nihon Shohisha Renmei) As we prepare to celebrate the bonenkai to end 2011, we also look forward to 2012, the year of the dragon! Feel free to download the pdf file of Japan Resources No 154 and print it for your library. – Editors Contents: GMO Free Zone Registration Status Report (2001) Organic Farming in Japan: Lessons for the World Consumers Against TPP Negotiations Genetically Modified…
BSE: Keep Strict Rules To Eradicate Mad Cow Disease
Withdraw Plans to Reexamine Japan’s Strict Measures against Mad Cow Disease December 9, 2011 Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) decided on December 9, 2011 to consider reexamining the legal measures against Mad Cow Disease and to ask the BSE committee of the Food Safety Commission to deal with the issue by the end of the year. We regard the easing of the present BSE inspection standards to have only one purpose, namely to make it possible to resume beef imports from the United States. Food Safety Citizens’ Watch and Consumers Union of Japan have sent the following letter of protest on December 9, 2011, demanding that the…
Genetically Modified Papaya: Consumer Reaction
Genetically modified papaya to be marketed in Japan for the first time but the labeling issue is not solved By Yamaura Yasuaki, CUJ The safety assessment of the genetically modified papaya was completed by the Food Safety Committee in 2009. In April, 2011 there was a deliberation about its labeling in the Consumer Committee of the Consumers Affairs Agency. There has also been an opportunity for the general public to comment on the case. Following this, a deliberation was held on July 27, 2011 to decide about the way such GM papaya should be labeled. This GM papaya could be the first case of marketing of a transgenic fruit in…
Consumers Against TPP Negotiations
TPP: Rural Japan Under Serious Threat By “Operation Enemy” November 02, 2011 The TPP negotiations seem to be hi-jacked by American rice growers and large grain exporting corporations. This is in spite of the fact that liberalization of the rice sector would have devastating effects on rural Japan. We cannot understand why the Japanese government should allow one small group of American producers to effectively make it impossible for Japan as a whole to maintain its food sovereignty. Consumers Union of Japan strongly rejects such approach to trade liberalization, and we, the consumers, have concluded that we have every reason to oppose the TPP negotiations. We think this will…
Organic Farming in Japan: Lessons for the World
Report from IFOAM Organic World Congress Part 1 I had the opportunity to participate together with organic farmers and activists from Japan during the IFOAM Organic World Congress held in South Korea in September, 2011. It was the first time the global federation of organic associations held such a large meeting in Asia. Here we will briefly summarize some of the main lessons from Japan as they are relevant to consumers, farmers, and everyone around the world. Japan Organic Agriculture Association (JOAA) was founded in 1971 and has pioneered so-called Teikei systems, meaning close links between a farmer and a group of consumers. It is similar to Community Supported Agriculture…