The Tokyo Assembly Declaration of Opposition to the Planting of Transgenic Crops
The Tokyo Assembly Declaration of Opposition to
the Planting of Transgenic Crops
The world’s cultivated land area for
genetically modified (GM) crops is growing.
According to data released by ISAAA (International Service for
the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications) this year, 58.7
million hectares of GM crops were planted, about 1.5 times the
land area of Japan. The total cultivated area has been increasing
annually since 1996.
In 2003, GM soy beans accounted for 80% of all soy bean fields in
the United States. Japan depends heavily on foreign-grown,
particularly US-grown, crops. Because of this, GM produce in
Japan’s food supply is increasing.
The cultivated GM soy beans are a single herbicide-resistant
variety produced by Monsanto. Monsanto also has a monopoly on
herbicide-resistant cotton. Their market share of rapeseed and
corn seeds is also high. Monsanto dominates the majority of GM
crops, holding a virtual monopoly.
In Japan, the Bio-Produce Group (Katsutoshi Nagatomo,
representative) is working together with Monsanto Japan to
promote herbicide-resistant soy.
There were nine locations cultivated in soy in 2001 and six in
2002. It is still unclear how many locations there will be in
2003, but planting is already underway in the village of Yawara
in Ibaragi Prefecture.
If GM crops were cultivated in earnest, no one knows what effects
may result.
There is anxiety that genetic contamination will occur through
air-borne pollens, contaminating near-by soy fields or creating
herbicide-resistant weeds.
Once GM crops are grown outside of an experimental environment,
we will lose control of them.
The continued destruction of ecosystems currently occurring in
Japan, such as the problem with primitive Mexican species,
effectively tells this tale.
Cases such as that of Percy Schmeiser of Canada may increase. Mr.
Schmeiser not only suffered harm through genetic contamination,
but he was then later sued by Monsanto for patent
infringement.
The next GM crops to appear will be rice and wheat.
At the end of last year, Monsanto USA applied to the Department
of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration for permission to
cultivate and sell GM wheat. Monsanto Canada also made
application to the Canadian government. In both cases, the wheat
was herbicide-resistant wheat. It is expected that they will make
application in Japan soon.
Monsanto is planning on promoting the sales of
herbicide-resistant rice in Asia.
However, the citizens of Japan forced Monsanto and Aichi
prefecture to halt their joint development of the GM rice
variety, “Matsuribare.”
We thought that we had applied the brakes on the advance of
multi-national corporations, but in 2003, a public research
organization was approved for outdoor testing of GM rice in
Hokkaido, Iwate, and Ibaragi and has since begun testing as
well.
We cannot approve of GM crops in Japan. Let’s hinder the movement
to promote GM soy and halt the outdoor testing of GM rice.
We do not need GM crops on Mother Earth. Let’s eliminate GM foods
from our tables.
Once it is planted, the fight is over!
Stop the planting of GM crops!
Participants in the Tokyo Assembly
(Executive Committee)
NO! GMO Campaign, Consumers Union of Japan, DAICHI-O-MAMORU-KAI,
Japan Organic Agriculture Association, Seikatsu Club
(Contact) NO! GMO Campaign, +81-3-5155-4756
[ July 17, 2003 | NGO's_infomation ]