National Health is First Priority of Proposed Food Safety Policy Framework

On June 20, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) published the final draft of the "Policy Framework for Food Safety and Peace of Mind", that is to guide the administration of food safety with a view to assuring the health of the nation.  The aim is that the policy-making process should reflect the views of consumers and producers with a view to assuring a stable supply of safe food that can be consumed with peace of mind.  MAFF also indicated that it will be pursuing risk communication activities (encouraging persons and entities concerned to exchange information and views on food safety) and food education at the community level.

 In conjunction with the establishment of the new Consumer Safety Bureau in July, MAFF is to appoint consumer information officers, who will be responsible for promoting the exchange of data on food safety and information on risks to health with consumers and producers.  To promote risk communication, MAFF is to establish an advisory group made up of both specialists and consumers.  A new Consumer Safety Subcommittee, to be established within the Council on Food, Agriculture and Rural Area Policies, will also include members of the general public, with a view to ensuring that consumer views are reflected in policy-making.

 The Policy Framework also calls for the strengthening of crisis management functions.  Crisis management officers are to be appointed within the Consumer Safety Bureau to handle the creation of handbooks on crisis management and the gathering and publication of related information.  Together with the Food Safety Commission and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, they will consider, in advance, what action should be taken in the event of a crisis.

 Besides encouraging the farmers and food manufacturers who actually supply food to manage and use production materials in an appropriate manner, MAFF will support environmentally conscious production.  It will also call on businesses and JA cooperatives to observe moral standards in their activities.
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Revised Seed and Seedlings Law is Tough on Infringement of Breeder's Rights

On June 10, the Revised Seed and Seedlings Law was approved by a plenary session of the House of Representatives and became law.  The revised law extends the scope of punishable offenses to include not only the handling of seeds or seedlings without the breeder's permission but also the sale of crops grown from such seeds or seedlings.  It is also tough on the infringement of breeder's rights by companies, raising the maximum fine that can be imposed on a company from 3 million yen to 100 million yen.

The revised law provides for the imposition of fines if a court finds that crops obtained from the cultivation of unauthorized seeds or seedlings have knowingly been handled.  The revisions include the imposition of fines on farmers who knowingly obtain seeds or seedlings of registered varieties without the breeder's authorization and sell the crops grown from these seeds or seedlings, and on collection and distribution companies who handle agricultural products grown from seeds or seedlings obtained by illegal means.

 Last year, the Diet approved a Basic Law on Intellectual Property which clearly identifies the rights of plant breeders as intellectual property.  The Seed and Seedlings Law has been revised to reflect this legislation, strengthening the penalties for infringement of breeder's rights.
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 Revised Food Sanitation Law Restricts Use of Agricultural Chemicals in Absence of Residue Standards

On May 23, revisions of the Food Sanitation Law and related laws, centering on the imposition of fines up to a maximum of 100 million yen for the falsification of food labelling, etc., were unanimously approved by a plenary session of the House of Councilors and became law.  The revised law allows the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare to order any company found to have imported foods containing chemical residue in excess of legal standards to cease or suspend trading.  It also prohibits, in principle, the distribution of foods found to contain agricultural chemicals for which there residue standards have yet to be established.

 The revised law substantially increases the government's powers of disposition and the penalties that can be imposed on offenders, in response to growing public concern over food safety in the wake of the BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) crisis and scandals over the falsification of food labeling.  Among other measures, it also prohibits the making of exaggerated claims regarding the benefits of diet foods and other health foods.

Until now there has, basically, been no regulation of foods containing residual agricultural chemicals for which Japan has no residue standards.  The revised law introduces measures to prohibit the distribution of foods containing chemicals for which residue standards have yet to be established.  However, as there are currently some 170 agricultural chemicals for which Japan has no residue standards, MHLW is to allow a period of grace of three years from the promulgation of the law, during which it will draw up standards.
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 New Basic Law on Food Safety Establishes Inter-Ministry Food Safety Commission

A new Basic Law on Food Safety, whose provisions center on the establishment of a Food Safety Commission within the Cabinet Office, to be responsible for evaluating the risk to health presented by foods and advising government ministries and agencies on appropriate countermeasures, was approved by a plenary session of the House of Councilors and became law on May 16.  Under the auspices of the Food Safety Commission, due to be established in July, the government hopes to achieve the transition to a system of food safety administration that takes the consumer's point of view.

 Under the present system of food safety administration, for example, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) on one hand, has had regulatory authority with respect to assuring the safety of livestock feeds and, on the other, has been responsible for promoting the development of livestock farming and the livestock feed industry.  As a result, there has been a tendency to emphasize the interests of industry over those of the consumer, and to avoid strict regulation.

 Under the new system supervised by the Food Safety Commission, a clear distinction is made between responsibility for "risk assessment" (the scientific evaluation of the risk to health presented by foods) and "risk management" (the implementation of specific testing and regulatory measures on the basis of risk assessments.

 The Food Safety Commission is to assess the risk to health presented by foods, on the basis of which it will recommend appropriate action to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), etc.  On the basis of its recommendations, the ministries and agencies concerned will implement specific measures, such as restricting use or importation, and the Commission will be responsible for checking that the measures are properly implemented.

 The Food Safety Commission will be made up of seven specialists in fields such as toxicology, microbiology and sanitary science.  A specialist research committee with a part-time membership of approximately 200 experts on food additives, genetically modified foods, agricultural chemicals, etc., reporting to the Commission, will also be established.

 Over the past few years, Japan has gone through an outbreak of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) and a series of scandals over the falsification of food labeling, and the key to restoring public confidence in food safety administration lies in the management of the new system and the results it achieves.  Reflecting the views of the consumer in food safety administration and ensuring the transparency of internal discussion are likely to be of key importance.

 

Monitoring & regulation in relation to                    Monitoring & regulation

agricultural and livestock farming products          in relation to food hygiene

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Korean, Japanese Leaders Agree to Work for Early Start to FTA Negotiations

At a meeting on June 7, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Korea's President Roh Moo-hyun, currently visiting Japan, agreed that their two countries would work for an early start to inter-governmental negotiations on an FTA (free trade agreement).  The two leaders issued a joint statement at a press conference held after the meeting.  On the subject of economic cooperation between the two countries, Mr. Koizumi said, "The conclusion of the proposed FTA will forge closer links between the Japanese and Korean economies and help to increase their competitiveness", and told reporters, "We agreed to work for an early start to negotiations on the FTA."

 With the eventual goal of concluding an FTA, Korea and Japan have established a joint study group made up of representatives of government, industry and academia from both countries, including members of farmers' organizations and research scientists.  The study group has been meeting since July 2002, but the actual agreement is expected to take some time longer to achieve owing to fears, expressed within Korea, that a rise in imports of mining and manufacturing products will lead to an expansion of Japan's trade surplus vis-à-vis Korea.
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MAFF, MHLW Stop Imports of Canadian Beef Following Discovery of BSE-Infected Cow

Following news of the discovery of a BSE- (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) infected cow in Canada, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) took measures to stop imports of cattle and beef products from that country, as of May 21.

 In 2002, Japan imported 19,700 tons of beef from Canada.  By volume, Canada is the third largest exporter of beef to Japan and commands 3.7% of the Japanese market.

 The infected animal was 8 years old and thought to be of Canadian origin.  Canada is the first country outside the 15 countries of the EU in respect of which Japan has imposed an import ban on the grounds of BSE.

 MHLW has started testing Canadian beef already imported to Japan and, where it judges that there is a risk of contamination by tissue from specific areas such as the head, will order importers to recall the products in question.
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Japan Asks US to Tighten BSE Quarantine Measures on Exports to Japan

On June 5, Agriculture Minister Yoshiyuki Kamei called US Ambassador Howard H. Baker to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and asked him to convey to his country's government a strong request that only safe cattle and beef products be shipped to Japan, on the grounds that the possibility of beef originating in Canada, where there has been an outbreak of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), being exported via the United States cannot be discounted.

 Mr. Kamei had announced on June 3, in the course of discussions in the Diet, that he would be putting this request to the US Embassy.  The request also comes at a time when the Japanese people are showing a keen interest in the assurance of food safety.  At the meeting with Ambassador Baker, Mr. Kamei said that Japan's experience as a country that has suffered a BSE outbreak indicates that the testing of all animals, the removal of specific parts of carcasses, and the introduction of traceability systems (systems that allow the production and distribution history of animals to be traced) are effective in relieving the anxieties of consumers, and suggested that the United States would do well to adopt measures of this kind.

 Mr. Kamei also mentioned the fact that fears over the safety of beef imported from North America were growing among Japanese consumers, and expressed the hope that the United States would respond to Japan's request at an early date.

 Ambassador Baker replied that the US government placed first priority on health, adding that he felt it was important for Japan and the United States to cooperate and share information, and that the two countries would certainly be able to resolve the problem if they worked together.  He promised to pass on Japan's request to the US Secretary of Agriculture without delay.

 The United States imports 378,000 tons of beef and 1.68 million live cattle from Canada each year.  It is also possible that meat from infected Canadian cattle has been used in dog food and exported to the United States.  Japan imports some 300,000 tons of beef from the United States each year.
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2002 Vital Statistics:  Fertility Rate Falls to Record Low of 1.32

On June 5, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) published its Vital Statistics report for 2002.  The statistics show that, in 2002, the mean number of children to which a single woman gives birth during her lifetime (the "total fertility rate") fell to a record low of 1.32, down from 1.33 in 2001.

 The number of live births also fell to a record low of 1,153,866 in 2002, approximately 16,000 fewer than in 2001.  By mother's age, births to women in their late 20s fell sharply while births to women in their early 30s rose.  The mean age of the mother at the birth of the first child was 28.3 years in 2002, and is following a rising trend.

 The most common cause of death in 2002 was cancer, accounting for one in every three deaths.  The second most common was heart disease, which is accounting for an increasing number of deaths.  This was followed by cerebrovascular disease.  Suicide, at approximately 30,000 deaths, came in sixth place.

 The natural population increase, obtained by subtracting the number of deaths from the number of live births, also fell to a record low in 2002 of around 171,500.  MHLW takes the view that if the present trend continues, the population of Japan will start to fall in 2006, as forecast.
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Survey Finds Older People See Health as a Matter of Self-Control

On May 22, the Cabinet Office published the results of its occasional Survey of Attitudes to Health Matters Among Older People.  As compared with the results of the previous survey, conducted in 1996, interest in matters of self-control, e.g.  the improvement of dietary habits, has risen overall, expectations of government have fallen in all areas.  The Cabinet Office commented, "It appears that an increasing number of older people believe one should manage one's own health rather than relying on the government."

 The ratios of respondents who cited "Get plenty of rest and sleep" and "Lead a regular lifestyle" when asked what they did to stay healthy were 60.4% and 53.0% respectively, both up more than 20 points on the last survey.  The ratio of respondents who cited, "Eat a balanced diet" also rose by some 10 points to 49.5%.

 The survey revealed a positive attitude to improving dietary habits, including a focus on home cooking, with 54.6% of respondents citing "Eat regular meals" and 41.5% citing "Eat home-cooked meals more often".  Some 20.4% of respondents expressed an interest in "Food safety (foods grown without the use of agricultural chemicals;  foods without artificial additives)".

 The survey also revealed differences between urban and rural areas in terms of the frequency with which older people went outside their homes.  The ratio of respondents who said they went out once a week or less was 7.1% in major cities, but as high as 21.6% in rural areas.  The Cabinet Office suggests this may be due to the fact that it is difficult to get out and about in country towns and villages without a car.
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 Agency for Cultural Affairs Designates 180 Rural Landscapes as Cultural Properties

On June 12, an Agency for Cultural Affairs study group that has been examining the possibility of protecting beautiful landscapes closely linked to the day-to-day life of farming villages, etc. under the title of "cultural landscapes", published a report recommending that the government introduce measures to preserve 180 key areas, including the Tokachi plain (Hokkaido), the apple orchards of Tsugaru (Aomori Prefecture) and the potato fields of Aino-cho (Nagasaki Prefecture), as "cultural properties".  By designating rural landscapes whose character is maintained by the pursuit of farming activities as cultural properties, the report represents a cultural acknowledgment of the multi-functionality of agriculture.

 The places to be preserved as "cultural landscapes" include farming, fishing and mountain villages where human activity has formed a landscape of unique character with historical and cultural associations.  The study group has narrowed down a total of some 2,300 landscapes nominated by local government bodies to 180 key areas it recommends for government protection.

 As it would be difficult to afford protection to such "cultural landscapes" under the existing system for the protection of natural monuments, which involves strict regulation, the study group calls for the creation of a new system by amendment of the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties.  Cultural landscapes would be divided into two types, core districts to be protected by authorization systems established by local government ordinance and districts to receive somewhat looser protection under a notification system.  The study group proposes that the central government should designate the more important core districts as "districts for the preservation of culturally important landscapes" and support their preservation and management.
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 Display of Ear Tag Numbers on Beef Products to be Compulsory from December

On June 14, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) announced that it has decided that the requirement to display ear tag numbers on beef products under the new Beef Traceability Law should apply only to cuts, and should be waived for ground meat, scraps, pre-cooked dishes and other processed foods.  It has also decided that the requirement to display ear tag numbers should apply to four types of specialist restaurant, including yakiniku [Korean-style barbecue] houses.  MAFF believes these measures will cover approximately 70% of domestic beef.

 MAFF also revealed the dates from which the requirements for ear tagging, etc. are to be imposed.  The requirements on livestock farmers to fit cattle with ear tags and declare the date of birth of animals, etc. will apply from December 1, 2003, while the requirement on distributors and retailers to display ear tag numbers on beef products will apply from December 1, 2004.

 Some 55% of domestic beef is sold in the form of cuts.  MAFF estimates that around 15% is used by the four types of specialist restaurant subject to the ear tag number display requirement. 
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 The Urgent Need for a System for the Preservation of Cultural Landscapes

An Agency for Cultural Affairs study group has published a report recommending that the government introduce measures to preserve 180 beautiful landscapes around Japan as "cultural properties" of the nation.  The designation of familiar landscapes shaped by farming, forestry and fishing activities as cultural properties and the indication of policy on their protection is a highly significant development.  Most are landscapes whose character is maintained by the pursuit of farming, forestry and fishing activities, such as the apple orchards of Tsugaru (Aomori Prefecture) and the potato fields of Aino-cho (Nagasaki Prefecture), and could be considered proof of the multi-functionality of agriculture, forestry and fisheries.  As proposed in the report, the government should strengthen its policy support to ensure that these activities are maintained.

 The 180 areas designated as cultural landscapes are places where people currently earn a living from agriculture, forestry or fisheries.  They are not simply beautiful, but are associated with a rich local character and traditional way of life that constitute the "homeland of the heart", besides sheltering ecosystems that support a great variety of wildlife.  The report also recognizes this multi-functionality.

 However, the places selected on this occasion are only representative landscapes.  The study group received nominations from local government bodies in respect of some 2,300 areas.  As is clear from this figure, there are in fact vast numbers of beautiful landscapes shaped by farming, forestry and fishing activities, all over Japan.  We should all take this opportunity to rediscover their value.

 The beautiful scenery in and around Japan's villages is preserved by the very fact that people live in it, going about the seasonal tasks and daily activities involved in agriculture, forestry and fisheries.  In many cases, the crops cultivated have been passed on by their forbears, or are unique local varieties developed over time.  The framework of the existing system for the protection of natural monuments, which involves strict regulation, is inadequate for the preservation of such landscapes.  The study group proposes the creation of a new system by amendment of the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties, and it is right.

 However, in many of these beautiful farming villages, farming businesses face increasingly difficult conditions due to the long-term decline in the prices of agricultural products.  The farming population is aging and there is a shortage of motivated and able farmers.  If things continue as they are, it will be difficult to preserve the landscape.  The government should take measures to ensure the continuation of farming, which could be described as fundamental to the shaping of the landscape.  It goes without saying that these should include an expansion of the system of direct subsidies for farmland in less-favored (hilly or mountainous) areas and the provision of tax incentives, but it will also be necessary to introduce "strong-bone support measures" that help to ensure the continuation of farming, forestry and fishing activities.

 Rural landscapes are the fabric of the Japanese homeland and occupy an important place in the heart of the Japanese people.  It is now clear that they are cultural properties of which the people of Japan should take good care.  The government should appeal for support not only to people in farming, mountain and fishing villages, but also to those living in cities, where change is fast and furious.

 Depending on the outcome of the WTO agriculture negotiations, these beautiful rural landscapes may be in the danger of destruction.  The government should advertise the fact that Japan is working, as a nation, to protect the familiar landscapes shaped by farmers, foresters and fishermen, at the negotiating table, and should make a renewed effort to obtain worldwide recognition of the multi-functionality of agriculture.

 The landscapes shaped by the vast farms operated in some countries are also beautiful, but it is not possible to farm on such a large scale everywhere.  Many of the crops that maintain the beautiful rural landscapes of Japan are local varieties unique to their particular region.  For this reason, it is vital that the agriculture negotiations result in the creation of trade rules that allow for the coexistence of a wide variety of agricultural models, adapted to unique local conditions.
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