As more and more people join a movement to reject GM soy beans, mostly imports from the United States, activists say Japanese companies are beginning to acknowledge consumer needs over business profits. A telling illustration of this important change is the setting up of separate sections at supermarkets, despite not being required by government, that segregates soy products, such as tofu and sauces, made with imported GM soybeans, and those that claim to use only the local variety. We welcome the GM food product crisis. A letter, citing scientific data that support potential health and environmental hazards of GMOs, was sent by CUJ last week to American farmers, urging them to segregate GM and non-GM products exported to Japan.
Japan is the world's largest food importer.
American soybeans, most of them genetically modified, make up more than ninety percent of local consumption. This is the reason, Tomiyama explains, that consumer organizations have stopped short of calling for an immediate ban on GM soybeans. If we called for a ban the Japanese would have to forego an important part of their diet. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries reports that genetic engineering agriculture has tremendous advantages for farmers because the technology helps crops to become resistant to weather conditions as well as pests. The United States and Canada are the world's leaders in transgenic crops.