FTA and the food on our tables (pdf) Free Trade Agreements and the Food on our Tables Report by Yasuaki Yamaura Consumers Union of Japan/Food Action 21 The purpose of Free Trade Agreements (FTA) is to lower tariffs and reduce other barriers for products traded between two countries. Since 2002, Japan has concluded FTAs with Singapore, Mexico and Malaysia, and is also currently in the process of negotiating deals with South Korea, India and Australia. I participated in two meetings sponsored by NGOs and experts that oppose FTA negotiations in Sydney, Australia, in parallel with the APEC Summit in September, 2007. People from different backgrounds in the Asia-Pacific region voiced…
Australia-Japan FTA: A Bad Deal Should Be Stopped
Australia-Japan Free Trade Agreement- A bad deal should be stopped Joint Statement from Australian and Japanese people We, the undersigned people and organisations, believe that the Australia Japan Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will not bring real benefits to the people of Australia and Japan. Given that Australia and Japan already have a strong trading relationship; the predicted economic benefits are unlikely; and that social and environmental costs have not been considered, we believe that the negotiations of this FTA should not take place. Instead, we believe there is a need to rethink multi lateral trade rules and develop a global trading system based on real development, fairness, democracy, and sustainability.…
CUJ and the No! GMO Campaign: Please Reply to Our Questions Regarding Glyphosate Use in Hokkaido
Request to cease pre-harvest glyphosate use in soybeans and please reply to our new concerns regarding its use (April 14, 2020) To: Hokuren Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives Mr. Kazuyuki Uchida, Chairman of the Board From: No! GMO Campaign Keisuke Amagasa Consumers Union of Japan (CUJ) Keisuke Amagasa, Co-Chairman Kazuki Ono, Co-Chairman Request to cease use of pre-harvest glyphosate in soybeans and reply to questions regarding its use In response to our questionnaire dated March 17 2020, you responded on March 27 by e-mail, but you did not answer our questions 1 to 4. Domestic agriculture is in a deep crisis due to trade agreements such as the TPP, the EU-Japan…
Press Release: Appeal for World Food Day
Our goal is a world with no genetically modified foods and an end to the multinational corporate control of the global food supply October 16 is the World Food Day, as designated by the United Nations. The aim is to combat hunger and promote agriculture, while the forces that makes this difficult to achieve are having the opposite results. Regional conflicts and nationalism are increasing poverty. We are especially concerned about the concentration of economic resources into the hands of just a few corporations that control the global economy. At the same time, governments have embarked on EPAs and FTAs that ignores public opinion and lead to more division in…
CUJ Resolutions at the 42nd Annual Meeting in June, 2015
1) We oppose the security bills aimed at changing Japan’s constitution, and urge the government to protect the people’s right to live in peace and safety 70 years after the end of WW2, the Japanese government is introducing a number of controversial bills to change the post-war constitution, allowing for a more active military role for Japan. For 70 years, we have lived as peaceful consumers and workers. Our way of peacefully earning a living is now being destroyed as the Abe Cabinet tries to abolish Article 9 of the constitution, and allow for collective self-defense, which ultimately means Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF) will be turned into a regular military…