Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is an economic forum promoting the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investments, economic and technical cooperation, and related issues. Many NGOs from Japan and other coutries participated in the No! APEC Yokohama People’s Forum. Yokohama People’s Declaration (Summary) November 14,2010 The No! APEC Yokohama People’s Forum gathered on November 13-14, 2010 in Yokohama, Japan to protest against the APEC meeting held in the city. The executive committee consists of various individuals, citizens, workers, labour unions, civic groups, NGOs, and gender groups who oppose the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), issuing the following joint declaration: The official Yokohama Vision presented at the APEC meeting has three pillars: regional…
“Add Organic Foods To The Eco Point System!”
Japan has a long history of organic farming. One of the leaders, Ishizu Fumio from Shiga Prefecture has been active during 2010 together with the Japan Citizens’ Network for Planet Diversity (MOP5 Network) and the No! GMO Campaign. As a farmer, he has successfully shown that traditional organic farming techniques that do not rely on pesticides or chemical fertilizers are a viable way to produce healthy food. He often invites groups to his farm to show the abundant biological diversity among his wet-land rice and veggy fields. “Add Organic foods to the Eco Point system,” Ishizu-san pleaded at a seminar in Nagoya in July, 2010. He noted that the big United Nations…
Detailed Analysis Of Nagoya Results
Bio Journal, the publication by Citizens’ Biotechnology Information Center (CBIC) has made a detailed analysis of some of the most pressing issues that were discussed at the MOP5/COP10 meeting in Nagoya in October 2010. The results of the negotiations regarding Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) and the new Aichi Target (20 objectives for biodiversity protection through 2020, the expansion of protected areas to 17 percent of the world’s land and 10 percent of its waters, and to halve the rate at which natural habitats are lost) were discussed in the press, but the important Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress did not get as much attention. Bio Journal explains: At…
Why Are Consumers Opposing TPP?
The Problems of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement Yamaura Yasuaki Secretary General of Consumers Union of Japan November 3, 2010 (1) The Problems of FTA/EPA Currently, the participation in TPP is a very large political issue for Japan. We regard TPP as simply a part of the Free Trade Agreements (FTA) that have come into effect since May, 2006. The ideal way forward for FTAs is what must be discussed prior to any decision about whether joining TPP is the right path for Japan or not. Though the government notes that they regard the WTO rules as the basis of Japan’s trading policies, in fact, they negotiated Free Trade Agreements…
Planet Diversity Parade In Nagoya: Photos
Here are some photos from the large Nagoya event on October 10, 2010 with over 1,000 participants who walked through the busy streets with banners and costumes, to protect biodiversity and protest against genetically modified organisms (GMOs)! Video on Youtube: For large images, please go to the MOP5 Network website and click on each photo – feel free to copy and paste on your blog, and don’t miss the images here: