Consumers Union of Japan – Page 54 – Sound and Healthy Future for Our Children

Earthquake and Tsunami in Tohoku: Urgent Proposal for Emergency Measures for Pregnant Women and Children

To: Kan Naoto, Prime Minister of Japan

From: Tomiyama Yoko, Chairperson, Consumers Union of Japan (NPO)

March 18, 2011

Urgent Proposal Regarding Emergency Measures for Pregnant Women and Children in the Tohoku Region

Consumers Union of Japan is committed to a sound and healthy future for our children. We rely only on individual membership fees as the basis for our activities, thus ensuring the independence of our ideas as an NPO.

We feel very strongly for the people who have been affected by the huge earthquake and tsunami in the Tohoku region of Japan. There is very serious damage in many parts of the region. We are very concerned about the grave situation caused by the damage to the nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. We are feeling particularly apprehensive about the influence of radioactivity on the residents in their immediate vicinity.

Since Consumers Union of Japan was founded in April, 1969, we have strongly appealed against nuclear power generation on the basis that radioactivity cannot coexist with living beings. There are no safe limits. We have tried to stop nuclear power before such a serious accident occurred, using all possible means at our disposal to cooperate and work together with other networks of concerned individuals and anti-nuclear groups.

We strongly request a conversion to an energy policy that does not depend on nuclear power generation.

We cannot help getting very angry and mortified about the reports of the severe damage at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant No. 1.

Currently, our misgivings are deepening regarding the exposure to the workers who are doing their utmost to prevent the worst case scenario from happening.

We strongly request that every measure is taken to ensure that the workers are not exposed to radioactivity.

In addition, we are concerned about the influence on the citizens living in the surrounding environment, in particular pregnant women and children. The effect on the embryo and on infants due to doses of radioactivity has been found to be about 10 times stronger than on children, and about 100 times stronger than on adults (National Academy of Sciences. NAS, 1972).

Hour by hour, the situation appears to be changing to a more serious state, as the forecasts of damage due to radioactivity have become more and more prominent.

We strongly propose the following while at the same time we sincerely request that thorough measures be taken so that the worst possible situation is not allowed to happen:

1. Immediately expand the evacuation zone to prepare for every contingency, and make every effort to help pregnant women and children in particular to take shelter at a further distance away from the damaged reactors at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant No. 1.

2. Ensure that every effort is made to provide the people in the evacuation zone with food and water that have not been exposed to or polluted by radioactivity.

By fridfrid | 30/03/2011 | Nuclear |

Stop the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement

By Yamaura Yasuaki, Consumers Union of Japan

In October 2010, Prime Minister Kan suddenly declared in a policy speech to the Parliament that Japan would participate in the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). There is strong opposition coming not only from farmer’s organizations and local authorities, but also among elected politicians within Prime Minister Kan’s own party, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), who have risen up in anger and anxiety. The main arguments against the TPP include that fact that TPP will make it impossible to gain any exceptions from Free Trade Agreements (FTA) that will force Japan to abolish tariffs, which will be a fatal blow to Japanese agriculture and lead to a decline for the economy in rural areas.

Mass media, however, developed a chorus of “don’t miss this opportunity” and not only the economic press, such as Nihon Keizai Shimbun and The Sankei Shimbun, but also The Yomiuri Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun all support TPP in editorials and articles, even going so far as to misinterpret and make false representations of how TPP will “open up the country to the world” and calling the “agricultural protection theory bigoted and obstinate.”

Consumers Union of Japan submitted a letter of protest on November 12, 2010 telling the government that we oppose trade liberalization, either in the form of FTA or TPP. CUJ also noted that there is no national consensus regarding this and that to abruptly engage in such negotiations is not acceptable for consumers.

TPP is not only going to harm Japan’s agricultural sector, but ruin the entire economy in rural areas. This also leads to destruction of the natural environment. The only survivors will be the export-oriented industry. It means a decline for the domestic industry which will affect workers greatly. Structural reform of agriculture, allowing large-scale corporations to run farms, will be the end of small-scale farming. Such policies are now promoted by the Democratic Party of Japan, in spite of their 2009 election manifest, in which they promised to attach special importance to farmers.

We are particularly concerned about what this means for food safety and food security. Japan’s food self sufficiency rate, which is already low, will be further undermined. The United States, which will be a part of TPP, officially considers Japan’s food legislation as a “non-tariff barrier” and lists their concerns each year in the USTR report on trade barriers in foreign countries including Japan. Their goal is to abolish Japanese rules, for example regarding genetically modified organisms (GMO) and beef products, that they regard as one-sided.

Consumers Union of Japan is holding two meetings in February to discuss these issues and what they mean for consumers.

On February 16, 2011 we are holding a meeting in Conference Room B 109 at the Members’ Office Building of House of Councilors of Japan:
Address: 2-1-1 Nagatacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Title: Questions about the problems of TPP

On February 26, 2011 we are holding a symposium in Hall 1021, Meiji University Liberty Tower:
Address: Kanda, Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Title: Globalization through TPP will bring poverty: Living naturally in both towns and cities!

By fridfrid | 02/02/2011 | Food, Food Security, FTA, TPP, Trade |

Japan Resources No 152

CUJ JR 152 (pdf) Japan Resources No 152

Celebrating the end of a busy year here in Waseda today, we are also pleased to release No 152 of Japan Resources. 2010 has been shaped by the large international conference in Nagoya in October. The United Nations MOP5/COP10 conference for biological diversity was of particular interest to Consumers Union of Japan and the many groups we work together with both locally and around the world. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been involved in this important conference.

Feel free to download the pdf file and print it for your library.

– Editors

CONTENTS:

Special Report: Genetically Modified Canola Contamination In Japan – A Call For Action In Nagoya 2010!
Press Release: Declaration Regarding The Adoption Of The Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplemental Protocol
Why Are Consumers Opposing TPP?
Detailed Analysis Of The Results From Nagoya
“Add Organic Foods To The Eco Point System!”
Yokohama APEC People’s Declaration

By fridfrid | 28/12/2010 | Japan Resources, Uncategorized |

Yokohama APEC People’s Declaration

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 economic integration, growth strategies, and secure communities. It boasts of the high economic growth in the Asia-Pacific Ocean nations, clinging to the myth of future economic growth. The content related to secure communities appears to despise the real security of citizens, instead valuing security of capital. We oppose the APEC Yokohama Vision, because it does not at all reflect the voice of the general public.

The following is a summary of the issues we discussed in great detail in subcommittee meetings. Consequently, the views were confirmed by all of the participants in the No! APEC Yokohama People’s Forum. (more…)

By fridfrid | 22/12/2010 | Civil Rights, Food Security, FTA, North-South, Uncategorized |

“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 meeting in October would discuss liability and redress issues, in case farms are contaminated by genetically modified organisms (GMO). GMO-free zones, first introduced in Japan in 2005, are one way for farmers to communicate to consumers that they do not wish to use GMO crops.

To encourage farmers, better support is needed. This would also benefit consumers who are looking for ways to support local farmers and purchase produce and grains that are good for the environment. Ishizu-san’s farm has made a name for its rice under the “Harie Genki Rice” brand, with a group of organic farmers.

Some 500 people participated in the event in Nagoya on July 3, 2010

Over the past years, Japan’s government has come to the aid of electric appliance makers and car manufacturers with the Eco Point system. Now is the time to include certified organic food making them available at an affordable price.

Read more (in Japanese) シンポジウム「未来につなごう　いのちを育む食と農」を開催 (Seikatsu Club homepage)

MAFF information about Ishizu Fumio’s farm in Shiga Prefecture (in Japanese) むらづくりの背景動機

Japan Organic Agriculture Association website (in English)

By fridfrid | 22/12/2010 | Biodiversity, Food, Organic Agriculture/Food |