Agricultural and Food Policy
 Agri Outlook
Radio
Number 71
Policy/Noteworthy: Japan the World’s Largest Importer of Biotechnology Foods and Feeds (3:54 minutes)
Audio/Video Script:
Dr. Bobby Coats
Extension Economist
University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture
Japan the world’s largest importer of biotechnology foods and feeds, does not
produce any biotech products commercially. I’m Bobby Coats
Extension Economist University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
Japan, the world’s largest importer of biotechnology foods and feeds, does not
produce any biotech products commercially. Japan imports around 40% of its food
calculated on a calorie basis. Japan relies heavily on imports of corn and
soybeans, two major biotech crops produced in the United States.
Japan is a large importer of grains that have been produced using modern
biotechnology, including about 12 million metric tons of U.S. feed corn and 4.5
million metric tons of U.S. soybeans annually.
The Japanese public and food industry are reluctant to accept agricultural
biotechnology products. In response, the Japanese government has taken extensive
regulatory measures to address public concerns. These include mandatory biotech
labeling, mandatory safety food and feed review systems, and domestic
regulations that implement a Biosafety Protocol-based environmental review
system.
Key points from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service report “Japan:
Biotechnology; Annual Report 2007" follow:
- “As of June 2007, Japan has approved 91 biotechnology products
for food.”
- “It is illegal to import biotech-derived products that have not
been approved. Japanese regulatory agencies extensively test and use other
enforcement tools, even when there is no apparent health or environmental
concern.”
- “Japan does not commercially produce plants that have been
enhanced using modern biotechnology.”
- “Japan requires biotech labeling for food products in which
traces of biotechnology derived DNA or protein can be found. However, there
are currently no labeled consumer-ready products in general commerce.”
- “Food manufacturers, without exception, request U.S. suppliers
to provide non-biotechnology products that are produced using a documented
identity preservation (IP) system. However, many manufacturers of foods that
fall outside of the labeling requirement, such as soybean oil, utilize
biotech products. Animal feeds also commonly use biotech corn and soybean
meal.”
- “In order to avoid having to label foods as “containing biotech”
almost all retailers require that food use corn and soybeans be supplied as
IP handled non-biotech products or identity preservation handled non-biotech
products.
The U.S. supplies about 95% of Japan’s 16 million MT
of corn imports per year. Corn for feed accounts for 12 million
MT of the total and is generally not segregated or IP handled.
The remaining 4 million MT is IP corn for food use.
For soybeans, Japan imports about 4.5 million MT per year,
including 3.5 million MT from the United States. Around 3.5
million MT of soybeans are used for crushing annually. Since
vegetable oil is exempted from labeling requirements, almost all
of the soybeans imported for crushing are not segregated.
This has been Bobby Coats Extension Economist University of Arkansas Division
of Agriculture.
Source: USDA FAS Report: "Global Agriculture Information Network Report
Number: JA7040; Japan: Biotechnology; Annual Report 2007"
http://www.fas.usda.gov/gainfiles/200707/146291858.doc
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