ＧＭ小麦反対行動の経緯

日本では９６年に遺伝子組み換え作物（ＧＭ）が入ってきて以来、全国各地で大きな反対運動があります。特に今回のＧＭ小麦についてはすでに大きな反対運動がおきています。

　昨年、日本の製粉協会(Flour Millers Association)や韓国の消費者団体が、米国でＧＭ小麦について商品化への強い懸念を表す記者会見などを行ったことから、米国在住者から、ぜひ日本の消費者も米国やカナダで、ＧＭ小麦についての日本の消費者の意思表明をしてほしい旨の要請がありました。

　遺伝子組み換え食品いらない！キャンペーン（以下キャンペーン）では、2003年９月16日に日本モンサント社（山根精一郎社長）に対して、日本の消費者がＧＭ小麦に反対して、両国の認可申請の却下を求めていることを本社に伝えてほしいこと、日本でのＧＭ小麦の認可申請を行わないことなどの要請文を出しました。

また、亀井善之農林水産大臣あてには、日本の消費者がＧＭ小麦に反対して、両国の認可申請の却下を求めていることを両国政府に伝えてほしいこと、日本でのＧＭ小麦の認可申請を行わないことなどの要請文を出しました。

　９月18日には米国とカナダ大使館あてに、それぞれ遺伝子組み換え小麦の申請却下を求める申し入れを行いました。

（米国は　米国大統領（ジョージ・ブッシュ）、駐日米国大使（ハワード・H・ベーカー 、首席農務官（クレイ・ハミルトン）あてに、カナダは[首相]大統領（ジャン・クレティエン） 、駐日カナダ大使（ロバート・Ｇ・ライト）

　また、同日、「消費者とともに遺伝子組み換え小麦に反対してください」との要請文を日本の大手、中堅どころの製粉業者でつくる業界団体で85%の小麦を取り扱う、製粉協会に提出しました。また、10月３日に残り15％のシェアを持つ協同組合全国製粉協議会会長（曽我隆一社長）(All Japan Flour Milling Association)あてにも同様の申し入れをしました。

　３月９日に製粉協会(Flour Millers Association)の専務理事(Executive Director)である重田勉氏ほかと会談し、製粉協会の立場は2001年２月21日の声明文（注１）と全く変わりがないことを確認しました。

　また、協同組合全国製粉協議会(All Japan Flour Milling Association)との文書による質疑でもＧＭ小麦は取り扱わないことが明らかになりました。（注２）

　製粉業者（会社）あてのアンケートを行い調査した結果は、いずれも製粉協会と同じ立場であり、「消費者の望まないものは絶対に取り扱わない」というというものでした。いずれも消費者と共通の強い反対の立場が確認できました。

　今回のＧＭ小麦の申請却下を求める団体署名は、４１４団体（構成員数１，１２４，０５４名）からの賛同を得ました。この中には消費者団体、大小の生活協同組合、労働者団体、会社（事業者）ほか、さまざまなNGOがＧＭ小麦に危惧する思いを寄せています。

　この提出行動を３月２２日から２８日に米国、カナダの消費者・生産者団体とともに行っています。オタワ、ウィニペグ、ノースダコダ（ビスマーク）ほかにて団体署名の提出以外にも、現地での記者会見、集会、交流会を行うことになっています。

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Background to the Campaign Against GM Wheat

There have been large-scale opposition movements against GM food throughout Japan since GM crops first entered Japan in 1996. Now an especially strong movement has sprung up to oppose the planting and commercialization of GM wheat.

Last year (2003) the Japanese Flour Millers Association and a South Korean consumer group held press conferences and so on in the USA to express their strong concern over the commercialization of GM wheat. We have also had a request from a Japanese resident in the United States to express the views of Japanese consumers concerning GM wheat in Canada and the United States.

The NO! GMO Campaign submitted a formal letter to Monsanto Japan (CEO Mr. Seiichiro Yamane) on 16 September 2003 requesting that he inform the Monsanto Company head office that Japanese consumers are opposed to GM wheat, and that they are demanding that the application for GM wheat in both countries (the USA and Canada) not be approved. The letter also requested that Monsanto Japan should not apply for approval of GM wheat in Japan. A letter was also submitted to the Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, Mr. Yoshiyuki Kamei, requesting that he inform the governments of both countries that Japanese consumers are opposed to GM wheat, and that they are demanding that the application for GM wheat in both countries (the USA and Canada) not be approved. This letter also requested that there be no submission of an application for approval of GM wheat in Japan.

Letters were also submitted to the embassies of the USA and Canada in Japan on 18 September demanding that the applications for GM wheat in the respective countries not be approved. (The letters to the United States were addressed to President George Bush, the American Ambassador to Japan, Howard H. Baker, Jr, and to the Senior Agricultural Attache, Clay Hamilton, and the letters to Canada were addressed to the Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, and the Canadian Ambassador to Japan, Robert G. Wright.)

On the same day an appeal entitled "Please Join Consumers in Opposing GM Wheat" was submitted to the Japanese Flour Millers Association, a trade organization which represents the large and medium-sized flour millers in Japan, who between them handle 85% of Japan's milled wheat. Further, on 3 October, a similar appeal was submitted to the Chairman of the All Japan Flour Milling Association (CEO Ryuichi Soga), which handles the remaining 15% share of milled wheat.

A discussion was held with a group from the Flour Millers Association including the Executive Director, Mr. Tsutomu Shigeta, in which he stated that there was no change in the position of the Association from that set out in the statement of 21 February 2001 (*1).

Further, in a written reply to a questionnaire concerning GM wheat, the All Japan Flour Milling Association made it clear that they would not handle GM wheat. (*2)

Results of a separate questionnaire to flour milling companies show that millers are taking the same stance as the millers' associations, in summary that "we absolutely refuse to handle anything that consumers do not wish to buy". We are happy to have verified that the milling companies and millers' associations are taking a common stance in their firm opposition to GM wheat,
414 organizations and companies, representing 1,124,054 people, have signed up to the recent "group" petition which asked them to sign a declaration demanding the application for GM wheat not be approved. Among the signatories are consumer groups, large and small co-operative unions, labour organizations, companies, and various NGOs, who have related to us their fears concerning GM wheat. Activities concerning the submission of this petition will take place from 22 March to 27 March jointly with American and Canadian consumers organizations and farmers organizations. As well as submissions of the petition in Ottawa, and Bismark, North Dakota, press conferences, gatherings, and exchange meetings are scheduled to take place in Winnipeg and other locations in Canada and the USA.

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