Attention to:
Japan Flour Millers Association
Chairman, Mr. Kazui Kondo

From:
NO! GMO Campaign Japan
Representative, Keisuke Amagasa

Urgent: Important Request
"Please oppose genetically modified wheat, in solidarity with consumers"

We are a broad network of food producers, consumers, food distributors and retailers that are opposed to genetically modified crops.
The majority of consumers in Japan are opposed to genetically modified food. Several opinion polls have shown that more than 80% do not want to eat GM food, and more than 90% demand proper labelling in order to be able to make an informed choice. Moreover, because consumer rejection is strong,there is no commercial cultivation of such crops in Japan.
Our dependence on imported food is high, especially in the case of wheat, which is our staple food after rice, and which appears on our kitchen tables at almost every meal, in the form of noodles, bread, desserts and so on.
Monsanto Co. applied for approval of its herbicide tolerant wheat to the U.S. and the Canadian governments in 2002. If this genetically modified wheat is approved and cultivated, the possibility of such wheat entering into Japan will be increased. In all probability, gene contamination would occur and spread, contaminating not only to wheat, but also to other oats, such as barley and rye.
Therefore, we, Japanese consumers, strongly oppose genetically modified wheat.
If genetically modified wheat is approved and commercial cultivation starts, we will immediately strengthen our opposition and actions in order to achieve the total rejection of GM wheat imports into Japan.
Recently, the executive director of your association, Mr. Tsutomu Shigeta, was quoted in the international media saying, "If there is GM (genetically-modified) wheat, there is some potential for the collapse of the U.S. wheat market in Japan", that is exactly what Japanese
consumers believe.
We have also approached the U.S. and Canada requesting strongly that they not approve genetically modified wheat in order to maintain the friendly relationship between exporting countries and importing country.
Furthermore, we have addressed our demand to Monsanto Co. and also to the Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
Finally, we would like to urge Japan Flour Millers Association to express strongly to wheat exporters that you are not prepared to accept or have anything to do with genetically modified wheat.
Thank you for your attention.

NO! GMO Campaign
75-2F, Wasedamachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
162-0042 Japan
TEL: +81-3-5155-4756
FAX: +81-3-5155-4767
no-gmo@jca.apc.org
http://www.no-gmo.org/