 On-sea demonstration held for higher food-sufficiency About 150 people including workers and farmers on October 1 carried out an on-sea demonstration in Yokohama Port, Kanagawa Prefecture, calling for the dependence on imported foods to be shifted to an improvement of the food self-sufficiency ratio. The event marked the start of a nationwide concerted action, Green Wave, in defense of foods and health at the call of the National Campaign for Defense of the People's Food and Health. In opposition to the Japanese government plan to lift the ban on beef imports from the United States without BSE-testing due to U.S. pressure, participants on board six small craft shouted, "Don't stop conducting the BSE test on all beef cattle in order to defend beef safety and regain consumers' trust!" Japan's food self-sufficiency rate dropped from 60 percent in the 1970's to 40 percent in 1998 under the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's policy to liberalize agricultural imports, abandoning family farmers. This shows a sharp contrast from the summit countries, except for Japan, and other major counties trying to increase their food self-sufficiency ratios. (end) |