Surprise, Shock and More Worries: Japanese Consumers React to New Zealand Regarding Genetically Modified Foods
Japan imports a lot of food including but not only your sweet kiwi fruit from New Zealand.
We depend on all kinds of nutritious crops as we balance the benefits of international trade
agreements with the problems they cause to farmers here, and our domestic food
production, which often have consumers doubt safety rules and standards. Consumers
Union of Japan has protested against the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the
Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Atlantic Partnership (CPTPP) that New Zealand is
also a part of.
We have been told that farmers in New Zealand share our concerns about GM foods: the
severe safety issues, and the lack of concern for farmers’ rights (such as patenting rules).
There is also the general feeling that biological diversity is a major concern, that seed and
seedlings are not adequately protected, even by the Convention of Biological Diversity or
the Cartagena Protocol, which needs to move faster on so-called “Synthetic Biology”.
We, Consumers Union of Japan, along with many co-ops and community organizations
around Japan, have been fighting hard to avoid genetically modified foods from entering
Japan. We demand mandatory labelling and of course, better legal rules to deal with
genome-edited or “New Genetic Technologies” (NGTs) or “Precision Breeding”.
We like natural food from New Zealand, without the hubris and unreasonable claims that
we do not believe will be realised. We are surprised and frankly quite shocked that anyone
in New Zealand would imagine that its food (or drink, like NZ wine that is quite popular
here) would get a boost from GM technologies.
“We hope you will remain a stable, wonderful and natural food exporter. Do not
underestimate the old saying, the customer is king, and please keep New Zealand GM-
free,” says Mrs. Michiyo Koketsu, CUJ Secretary General.