Petition of Japanese Companies and Consumer
Organizations Concerning GE Wheat

This petition campaign was carried out by the NO! GMO Campaign of Japan

March , 2004


Dear

At the end of 2002, the Monsanto Company applied to the U.S. and Canadian governments for approval of its herbicide tolerant GM wheat. It has been reported that this application might possibly be accepted by 2005. Monsanto Japan is also currently preparing an application for food use for submission to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in Japan.

Because Japan is highly dependent on North American wheat production for its food supplies, if this genetically modified wheat is approved and commercial cultivation begins, GM wheat will be entering our food chain in large quantities.

For us Japanese, wheat is our staple food after rice, and it appears on our dining tables at almost every meal in the form of noodles, bread, desserts and so on. Moreover, if commercial cultivation goes ahead, gene contamination will occur and spread, contaminating not only wheat, but also other cereals, such as barley and rye.

We Japanese consumers do not need genetically modified wheat. The citizens of your country and Japan have built up close ties over many years. In order to cement and maintain the friendly relationship between producers and consumers in our respective countries, we therefore strongly urge you to dismiss this application, and not allow genetically modified wheat to be cultivated or commercialized.

We wish you to know that the 414 consumer organizations, companies, and labor unions listed in the following pages have signed this petition.

Thank you for your careful consideration of our concerns.

戻る　index

*反ＧＭ食品の国際連帯/International Solidarity to Oppose GM Food
*ＧＭ小麦反対行動の経緯/Background to the Campaign Against GM Wheat
*Statement by the "No! GMO Campaign" of Japan