反ＧＭイネ生産者ねっと

反GMイネ生産者ねっとNo．477

2003年12月1日

プレスリリース

勝利宣言

岩手県が開発していた遺伝子組み換えイネの開発中止を勝ち取る

　2003年11月28日、岩手県盛岡市にて、450名を越す参加者の下、「遺伝子組み換え作物いらない全国集会in岩手」が開催された。この日までに全国から集まった407，212筆の署名が、集会会場の壇上に積み上げられた。集会参加者は冬の盛岡市内をデモした後、岩手県庁へと向かい、署名は岩手県農林水産部に運び込まれた。

署名提出の際に、佐々木正勝・県農林水産部長は、今年野外実験を行った遺伝子組み換えイネの実験を、当初の2年計画の予定を短縮して、今年1年で中止することを明言した。さらに、今後一切遺伝子組み換え稲等の野外実験を行わないことも明言した。

愛知県でモンサント社の稲を止めたのにつづく、日本の市民の勝利である。

　私たちが、愛知県とモンサント社が共同開発した遺伝子組み換イネの開発を中止に追い込んだ結果、日本の民間企業はことごとく遺伝子組み換え稲開発から撤退した。　にもかかわらず、旧農水省（現在は独立行政法人になった）の研究所と（財）岩手県生物工学研究センターは、遺伝子組み換えイネの積極開発の姿勢を崩してこなかった。その岩手県での開発に歯止めをかけるのに成功した。

　現在農林水産省は、生物多様性条約カルタヘナ議定書の国内法が、来年2月に施行されるのに合わせて、旧農林水産省の研究所で行われる野外実験に関して、規制を強化する方向で検討中である。これに対しても強く影響することになった。

　もはや、日本での遺伝子組み換えイネの開発は困難になった。遺伝子組み換え食品の開発も同様である。日本の市民が、「遺伝子組み換え食品はいらない、食べない、つくらせない」といって、取り組んできた成果が大きく実を結びつつあるといえる。

　世界的に見ると米国モンサント社による食糧戦略は衰えず、むしろ栽培面積は拡大の方向にある。遺伝子組み換え小麦が米国とカナダで申請されている。

　遺伝子組み換え食品いらない！キャンペーンでは、次のステップとして、世界の市民と共に、この流れを止める運動をより一層進めていく所存である。

遺伝子組み換え食品いらない！キャンペーン

代表　天笠　啓祐

Press Information - NO! GMO Campaign Japan

December 1, 2003

Declaration of Victory

"Citizens succeed in stopping Iwate prefecture's GM rice!"

On November 28, more than 450 people from all over Japan gathered in Morioka　city, Iwate, to participate in a gathering "No to GMO National Assembly in

Iwate".

At the Assembly more than 407,000 signatures were collated of people from all over Japan who had expressed support for a petition demanding a stop to the GM rice(*) research taking place in Iwate. All the participants then set off down the street in the cold to take the petition to the Iwate prefectural government. It was taken into the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Department.

After receiving the 407,212 signatures from 20 representatives from the Assembly, Mr. Masakatsu Sasaki, the Director of the Agriculture Department, publicly stated that Iwate has decided to abandon its GM rice research. Iwate conducted an outdoor GM rice experiment this year, which had been due to continue for a further year.

The Director also stated that Iwate will not conduct any further outdoor experiments involving GM rice or any other GM crops.

This is yet another victory for the citizens of Japan and follows on from last year's success in haltinGMOnsanto's GM rice in Aichi prefecture.

As a result of that successful citizens' campaign to stop the Monsanto-Aichi GM rice, Japanese private sector corporations completely abandoned GM rice R&D. However the research facility of the former Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) - now an independent administrative corporation - together with the Iwate Biotechnology Research Centre, maintained their strong commitment to develop GM rice. Despite which, people power has now succeeded in halting this GM rice research programme in Iwate.

MAFF is currently discussing how to tighten the regulation of outdoor experimental releases of GM crops at research centres, in order to accord with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, which will enter into force in Japan from 19 February 2004. Iwate's decision is bound to have a strong

influence on MAFF's review.

It is now no longer at all easy to work on GM rice R&D in Japan. The same applies to other GM foods as well.

"We do not want GM food! We do not eat GM food! We will not let GM food be produced!". These are the words that are being repeated again and again by the Citizens of Japan and their efforts look set to bring some big results very soon.

In terms of a global perspective on GM farming, the US company Monsanto's attempt to rest control over global food production has not diminished, and the GM farming area is enlarging. In addition, commercialisation for GM wheat is being sought in the US and Canada.

NO! GMO Campaign's next step is to increase its cooperation with other citizens from all over the world in order to bring a halt to GM food.

NO! GMO Campaign

Keisuke Amagasa

For more information please contact:

Keisuke Amagasa (Mr)

Masako Koga (Ms)

no-GMO@jca.apc.org)

NO! GMO Campaign

75-2F, Wasedamachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0042 Japan

TEL: +81-3-5155-4756 FAX: +81-3-5155-4767

(*) The Iwate Biotechnology Research Center was established in April 1992 with 100% funding from Iwate Prefecture. On 3 April 2003, the MAFF approved outdoor trials for a low-temperature resistant rice variety "Sub29" developed by the Iwate Biotechnology Research Center. This GM rice variety (Sasanishiki) contains the glutathione-S-transferase gene, which imparts multiple functions such as herbicide resistance and cold resistance. The problem with this rice variety is that it produces enzymes with multiple functions, and thus contains many uncertain factors. Simply anything could happen, and it is possible that previously unknown problems will arise with this variety in the future. (Source: Citizens' Biotechnology Information Center -CBIC)