dear all, This is an information about organic farming in Japan. Please distribute to whom it may concern. Any Sulistyowati -----Original Message----- From: AXIS [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2000 4:46 PM To: Ong Kung Wai Subject: JAPANESE ORGANIC STANDARDS AT RISK !! Dear Kung Wai: I hope everything is going well for you. I am writing to ask you some help. Recently, MAFF in Japan announced organic standards which may allow GMOs. I even checked with the government offical in charge of this about the fact that they allow GM soybean refuse for compost material, for example. GM fed livestock manure as well. Please pass on this message to your international network of organics. (There are some difficulties for this action in Japan, since many organic farmers in Japan are dependent on GM livestock feeds and GM crop refuse, and they are not necessarily against to allowing some GMOs for organics.) Voices from abroad is extremely essential. Thank you. Nobuko Takahashi, SOS/Axis ************************************* SOS in Japan For immediate release (please pass on) JAPANESE ORGANIC STANDARDS AT RISK !! Japanese Agricultural Standards for Organic Agricultural Products (JASOAP) announced on January 20th, 2000 allows GMOs in fertilizers and soil improvement materials. FACTS * JASOAP allows genetically modified rapeseed and soybean oil refuse and their meal as soil inputs. * JASOAP allows composts derived from livestock and poultry manure that are fed with GMO feed. * JAOAP do prohibit the use of GMO seeds and seedlings, pest control materials, and processing aids, but NOT prohibit other uses of GMOs and their products. BACKGROUNDS There has been growing interests and market demand for organic foods in Japan. Lack of regulations and control of organic labeling, however, had been a major problem for consumers and handlers of organic foods. International standard harmonization, on the other hand, was another task for the government. In response to such demand, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF), amended Japanese Agricultural Standards Law in order to introduce mandatory organic standards and third-party certification, which will be enforced on April 1st, 2000. Codex Alimentalius international guidelines for organic foods as well as other organic standards in the world do not allow GMOs and any of their products since they are not consistent with principles of organic agriculture. However, JASOAP issued recently leave some rooms for GMOs. Genetically modified soybean refuse is allowed as a source of soil inputs, for example. Self-sufficiency rate of soybean is 2-3%, and most of soybeans consumed in Japan are imported. In most cases, they are mixed with GM crops, and this rule may be to help Japanese farmers who are highly dependent on imports especially for livestock feed and its by-products. However, consumers do not want organic products produced with GMOs and their products. They do not want organic fields contaminated with GMOs and their products, either. There was a clear voice from all over the world saying "NO" to GMOs in organics when USDA proposed organic rules that may allow GMOs back in 1997. For foreign exporters of organic products to Japan, fair competition with Japanese organic products are not guaranteed, because while foreign organic producers have to meet the requirements to avoid GMOs and their products, according to their national regulations, Japanese organic producers do not necessarily have to do so. JASOAP are not consistent with international guidelines as well as organic principles when exclusion of GMOs are concerned, either. ACTION NEEDED --- FROM ABROAD TOO In reaction to these controversial organic standards, SOS in Japan has started to campaigning to Japanese consumers. Since JASOAP do not clearly state they would allow GMOs but secretly prohibit only seeds/seedlings and some materials while allowing other GMOs and their products, few Japanese knows about this fact. In addition, however, we would like to raise concerns overseas as well. Since Japanese market of organic food is growing even for imports, Japanese regulation inevitably affects foreign organic producers, too. Currently, MAFF is not officially open to comments specific to this issue, but please send comments to the address below, and notify your own government about JASOAP unfair in terms of trade and inconsistent with organic principles. MAFF e-mail (for general comments/inquiry) : [EMAIL PROTECTED] MAFF phone (main): +81-3-3502-8111 *There was an unofficial English translation of JASOAP (draft) in USDA-FAS reports found at http://www.fas.usda.gov/htp/organics/attache.htm , but please note there are some changes when the final version is announced on Jan. 20th. Save Organic Safe (SOS) in Japan URL: http://plaza22.mbn.or.jp/~SOS/ E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
