Japan rejects GE canola

GM means genetically modified and, in Japan, it’s not wanted. A 2006 government poll showed that 78 per cent of Japanese consumers are unsure about the impacts of eating GE food. In 2007, a group representing 2.9 million Japanese consumers travelled to Australia, urging state governments to extend their GE food crop bans.

Japan our biggest market

A massive 80 per cent of Australia’s canola exports went to Japan last year(1). Protecting farmers’ export markets is a persuasive reason why Australian states must stay GE-free. The experience from Canada shows that:

• contamination of non-GE crops is inevitable wherever GE crops are grown;
• markets will be lost if Australia goes GE.

The messages projected on the cargo ship and silo appear just days after the South Australian government agreed to keep its ban on growing GE food crops due to potential loss of markets like Japan. However the New South Wales and Victorian governments plan to lift the GE food crop bans this year.

Japanese consumers are increasingly worried about GE food.

Says Greenpeace Japan GE Campaigner Sachiyo Tanahashi, “Australia is Japan's main source of GE-free canola and Japanese companies will now have to look elsewhere for a non-GE product. We don't understand why Australian farmers would want to grow a product that consumers are rejecting all over the world.”

"I am concerned that GMO free canola across Australia will be contaminated if GM canola is introduced in those states. If that happens, we would be unfortunately forced to import canola from other countries than Australia."

Koichi Kato, Chairperson of the Seikatsu Club Consumers’ Co-operative Union in Japan

 Learning from Canada’s loss

Another important market for Australia's canola is Europe. When Canada started growing GE canola, it lost its entire canola seed export market to Europe. The same thing would likely happen to Australia if it grew GE canola. Our GE-free status gives Australian canola preferential market access and premiums.

Says Sachiyo Tanahashi, "GE canola is impossible to control. In Japan we have wild GE canola growing on our wharves and roadsides as weeds, due to the transport of Canadian seeds for crushing. The introduction of GE canola to Australia would remove choice for both farmers and consumers who want to remain GE-free.”

Greenpeace calls on:

• the New South Wales and Victorian governments to protect Australia's GE free reputation and export markets and extend their GE food crop bans for at least five years;
• all states to adopt liability legislation to protect farmers and consumers from unwanted GE contamination.

Hear about the Canadian experience