"Even Japan ill-prepared to check crop damage by GMOs"
K. Venkateshwarlu
The Hindu, October 3 2012
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/even-japan-illprepared-to-check-crop-damage-by-gmos/article3959784.ece

*Presentation by two Consumers Union of Japan representatives shows lacunae in their country's laws

*GM canola growing wildly in Japan found posing a threat to local crops

*'Trade ties among Japan, US and Canada may also deter Government from acting tough’' 

Protocols aplenty are signed and ratified but how well-equipped are countries in tackling problems relating to the unintentional release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) resulting in damage to native crops and biological diversity?

As developing countries like India grapple with such problems, even industrialised economies such as Japan have no easy answers as a group from that nation demonstrated at an interesting side event at the ongoing sixth meeting of the Conference of Parties serving as meeting of Parties (CoP-MoP 6) here on Tuesday.

Wild growth

Toshiki Mashimo and Michiye Koketu of the Consumers Union of Japan, through a presentation on contamination of local crops by genetically modified canola (rapeseed), laid bare the chinks in the armour of Japanase law governing such release. GM canola growing wildly has been found at many locations in Japan, mainly near harbours and on neighbouring roads, leading to food oil factories posing a threat to local crops. Japan's importing firms that get GM canola from North Amercia, food oil companies that make canola oil and transporters are all directly responsible for such contamination.

In the normal course they should be held accountable to liability and redress, two key principles underpinning the latest Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol, but the Japanese Government remains indifferent and helpless as the existing laws are inadequate.

Trade ties

"It is a different matter that trade relations among Japan and US and Canada may also deter the Government from acting tough. It is ironical that we hold big conferences like the fifth Cop-MOP in Nagoya but we are just unable to tackle such issues affecting local farmers and crops," Mr. Mashimo told The Hindu later.

The Consumers Union, which ran a campaign collecting two and a half million signatures, is now lobbying for amending the Japanese laws not only "consistent with" international protocols but including provisions of precautionary principles and negative effects on biodiversity. The new legislation should incorporate bringing developer, producer and exporter into the fold of the definition of “operator”, redress system of financial compensation and actual restoration and civil liability system to cover damages caused by the import of GMOs.