Tag Archives: Food

Protest Against Contaminated Water Release

Chemical pollution, Energy, Environment, Food, Nuclear, Waste, , ,

Urgent Statement
Protest Against TEPCO’s Discharge of Contaminated Water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Ocean

On 24 August 2023, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) forced the release of contaminated water generated by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident into The Pacific Ocean. We protest with strong anger against this outrageous action, which violates the written promises made to fishermen’s groups and shows no regard for the opposition and concerns expressed by local communities in Fukushima Prefecture and other regions and groups.
The decision to discharge the water into the ocean was made without any consideration of the various alternatives that were proposed in response to the Government’s policy decision in April 2021, and shows the administration’s complete lack of respect for the opinions of citizens and parties concerned.
Although the contaminated water stored in the tanks is supposed to have had all but tritium removed, in reality about 70% of the contaminated water still contains radioactive substances such as cesium, strontium and iodine, which exceed the standard values. If the water is discharged into the ocean in this state, even if it is diluted, there is a risk that it will be taken up by fish, shellfish and algae and become concentrated and appear on our dinner tables, potentially causing damage to our health. In addition, tritium has an extremely large impact when it enters the living organism.
An even bigger problem is the Kishida Government’s shift to a pro-nuclear policy, which includes restarting and building new nuclear power stations, extending the operating periods of old ones, and strengthening support for the nuclear power industry.
Consumers Union of Japan has upheld the slogan “A Sound and Healthy Life for the Future”. The current discharge of contaminated water into the ocean and the promotion of nuclear power are incompatible with the kind of society we seek. We strongly demand that the government and TEPCO immediately stop the oceanic discharge and express our determination to move forward together with many consumers and consumers towards the early realisation of a nuclear power free society.

Photo: 24 August 2023 Protest Outside TEPCO in Tokyo, Japan

Link to Japanese here

The Asahi Newspaper: ‘Open your eyes.’ Hundreds hold protest at TEPCO headquarters

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14988603

Public Meeting on Genome-edited Fish in Kyoto

Biodiversity, Biotechnology, Corporate Responsibility, Food, ,

Public Meeting on Genome-edited Fish in Kyoto

～What will happen to the future of food? ~

Japanese text here

Genome-edited foods are now being distributed in Japan, and in Japan alone, and are starting to appear on our tables. Moreover, two of the three types of genome-edited food distributed in Japan are fish (horse mackerel and tiger puffer fish). Until now, genetically modified fish have never been distributed as food in Japan. Genome-edited foods are as dangerous as, or even more dangerous than, genetically modified foods, yet the government has stated that there is no need to assess whether they are safe to eat or to label them. It is also totally unpredictable what will happen if genome-edited fish escape and enter the ecosystem. Regional Fish, the Kyoto University venture that developed, farms and sells such fish, has made no attempt to respond to our concerns or questions, while downplaying the dangers.

The fish farm is located in Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture, where the rich fishing grounds produce a lot of delicious local fish. However, Miyazu City has adopted genome-edited tiger puffer fish as an official “Hometown Tax Return Gift” as part of a program to promote local regions around Japan. Despite local citizens demanding that it be revoked, the city will not listen.

Regional Fish is developing genome-edited fish in collaboration with Food & Life Companies, which owns Sushiro, the revolving sushi restaurant chain. It has established a joint venture with NTT for land-based aquaculture and claims to be planning to establish new land-based aquaculture facilities across the country.

Genome-edited fish are now gradually making their way into our daily lives. But there is no labelling. We, the consumers, have no choice. Consumers Union of Japan is calling on Regional Fish to stop the development and cultivation of genome-edited fish, and on Miyazu City to withdraw them from its official tax return program. Furthermore, we are also working with the fishing industry to stop the onshore cultivation of genome-edited fish. This is why we have organised this meeting in Kyoto, where genome-edited fish are being developed and farmed.

We hope you will join us at this meeting to help protect the future of our food supply!

Date: 23 September 2023 13:00 – 16:00

Venue: Hito Machi Koryukan Kyoto, Kyoto Main Conference Room

Address: 83-1, Umeminato-cho, Kaminoguchi-agaru, Nishi-Kiyamachi-Dori, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto

Participation fee: 500 yen

Capacity: 300 at the venue, 500 online

Application deadline: Tuesday 19 September

(Note: The meeting will be held in Japanese only)

Program

12:30 Doors open

13:00-13:05 Opening remarks

13:05-13:50 Part 1: Keynote speech “How will genome-edited foods change the future of food” by Setsuko Yasuda

13:50-14:25 Part 2: Talk session “What is the problem with genome-edited fish?” by Keisuke Amagasa and Masahigashi Kawada

14:25-14:35 Break

14:35-15:10 Part 3: Panel discussion “Genome-edited tiger puffer fish as a tax return gift for promoting hometowns”

15:10-15:40 Questions and answers

15:40-15:55 Appeal by fishermen, appeal on genome-edited tomatoes

15:55-16:00 Rally appeal, closing remarks

Survey of Organic School Lunches in Japan

Food, Organic Agriculture/Food, Uncategorized,

Please Participate in CUJ’s Survey on the Use of Organic Ingredients in School Lunches

Japanese text here

An increasing number of municipalities around Japan have recently started to use organically grown rice, vegetables and other ingredients in school lunches in primary and secondary schools. Citizens are also increasingly calling for organic ingredients to be used in school lunches, and various initiatives have been launched in various parts of the country.

Consumers Union of Japan (CUJ) considers that the inclusion of organic food in school lunches is not only good for children’s health, but also protects the environment and the producers, including local farmers. In order to further expand this trend, the initiatives of municipalities that are already using organic food (not only JAS standards) can be helpful.

We decided to conduct a survey of progressive municipalities in various regions. See below for the content of the survey in English:

Survey in Japanese here:

■学校給食における有機食材の使用に関する調査用紙（Word）

General overview of school meals:

Q: What is the population of your municipality and how many primary and secondary schools provide school lunches and how many students are served?

Population:

Number of Primary Schools Serving Pupils

Number of Junior High School Serving Pupils:

Q: Please circle the relevant school meal preparation method.
(1) Own school system by school
(2) Centre-based system
(3) Combination of own school system and centre system

School lunch costs

Q: What is the average cost per meal?
Primary school: Yen______________
Junior high school: Yen______________

About your organic school lunches

Q: When did you start using organic ingredients for school lunches?
Since year (e.g. 2020):

Q: How often do you serve organic school lunches each year?

Q: How often (in total days) are organic school lunches served?
Days per year:

Q: What organic ingredients do you use? Please circle all that apply and write the name of the ingredient for others:
Staple food: rice, bread (wheat etc.), noodles, other:
Vegetables: onions, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, radishes, other:
Meat: beef, pork, chicken, other:
Drinks: milk, fruit juice, green tea, other:
Fruit: apples, tangerines, grapes, bananas, strawberries, other:
Seasonings: miso, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, oil, sake, mirin, other:
Please specify any other organic ingredients not listed above:

Q: What proportion of the total school lunch is made up of organic ingredients (in monetary terms)?
Rice %, wheat, barley %, vegetables %, meat %, drinks %, fruit %, seasonings %.

Q: How do you procure your organic ingredients? Please circle the relevant procurement method and ingredients.
(1) Directly from municipal farmers: rice, wheat, vegetables, meat, drinks, fruit, other:
(2) From municipal agricultural organisations: rice, wheat, vegetables, meat, drinks, fruit, etc.
(3) From other sources: rice, wheat, vegetables, meat, drinks, fruit, other:

Q: How did you come to use organic food? Please circle the relevant number. Please describe any others. (Multiple answers allowed)
(1) Residents’ (parents’) demands, (2) Producers’ demands, (3) Councilors’ demands, (4) Commitments by the head of government, (5) Nutrition teachers’ and cooks’ demands,
(6) Other:

Please send your reply to koketsu@nishoren.org

ご協力ありがとうございました。ご返信は下記にお願いいたします。

【返信先】

〒169-0051 東京都新宿区西早稲田1-9-19-207

日本消費者連盟／担当：纐纈（こうけつ）美千世

FAX：03‐5155‐4767

Eメール：koketsu@nishoren.org

Ito City School Lunch Campaign (20 July to 12 August 2023) Poster:

Organic School Lunch Campaign in Ito, Shizuoka Prefecture in 2023

GM Zucchini Found in South Korea: How about Japan?

Uncategorized, ,

In April, a South Korean civil society organization informed us here in Japan, that unapproved genetically modified (GM) zucchini had been found to be distributed in South Korea and that the government had initiated a recall.

Unapproved GM zucchini had been grown and sold in South Korea for seven years beginning in 2015. According to reports, GM zucchini seeds approved in the United States were imported and sold by a Korean company.

Consumers Union of Japan sent a letter of inquiry to MAFF on 11 April, asking whether GM zucchini is checked at the time of importation in Japan, how much zucchini and seeds are imported from the US, and more.

In Japan, there was an incident in 2011 in which unapproved GM papayas were cultivated in Okinawa and Kagoshima prefectures. It appears that GM papaya seeds developed in Taiwan were somehow mixed with non-GM papaya seeds, but the details remain unknown. In Okinawa, 8,000 unapproved GM papayas grown at the time were cut down; farmers who grew the papayas without knowing they were GM papayas were unable to ship them that year, but received no income compensation from the government or other sources, only replacement seedlings were distributed.

Also in 2017, there was an uproar over the recall of seeds when it was discovered that unapproved GM petunias were being sold.

We note that GM crops can easily cross borders and enter the country. In addition to calling on governments to take strict border measures, monitoring activities by citizens in each country are also important. Do let us know if you have similar cases in your country!

G7 Meeting Action Day in Miyazaki

Civil Rights, Food, Food Security, Organic Agriculture/Food,

Action Day to Bring Citizens’ and Farmers’ Voices to the G7 Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting
Date: April 23, 12:00-15:30
The G7 Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting will be held in Miyazaki Prefecture on April 22-23. What will be discussed at the meeting, what are the necessary international cooperation and political decisions, and what is needed to promote policies to protect food sovereignty in Japan? The Japan Family Farmers Movement (Nouminren) calls for your participation in the action and study exchange meeting in Miyazaki on the 23rd to promote agroecology and shift to an agricultural policy that supports small-scale and family farming in the pursuit of a sustainable society.

Stop the Food and Agriculture Crisis: Action Day to bring the voices of citizens and farmers to the G7 Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting
Date: Sunday, April 23
Action details:
12:00-12:45: Standing action

Place: In front of Miyazaki Yamagata-ya (department store) 5 min. walk from West Exit of JR Miyazaki Station
Address: 3-4-12 Tachibanadori Higashi, Miyazaki-shi, Miyazaki

13:30-15:30 Learning and exchange session Combined with online
Main presenter: Seiko Uchida (Co-president of PARC)
Naoya Matsudaira (Member of the Smallholder Agricultural Society of Japan, Representative Director of AMNet)
Toshiro Hasegawa (President, Japan Family Farmers Movement)