GM crop area reaches a record 190 million ha in 2017: ISAAA

TOKYO, June 27 — Total area cultivated with genetically modified (GM) crops rose 3% to a record in 2017 from a year earlier, as farmers in developing countries seeked to boost output, a study has showed. The area planted with GM crops totaled 189.8 million hectares in 24 countries last year, according to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA). The ISAAA is a non-profit group that promotes the use of biotech crops. According to the ISAAA figure, 19 developing countries, including Brazil, India and Pakistan, accounted for 53 percent of the world’s GM area. Biotech soybeans accounted for 50 percent of the global GM crop area. … Continue reading

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Japan-made bananas attracting attention with development of nontropical plants

TOKYO, June 23 – Along with the development of nontropical banana plants that can survive cold weather, banana production is increasing in various parts of Japan, the nation which imports 99 percent of bananas it consumes. The bananas are cultivated using plants developed by Tomoiki BIO, a seeds and plants manufacturer in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture. The new technology involves freezing banana plants’ growing point by decreasing the temperature of a freezer to minus 60 degrees Celsius, then defrosting and cultivating them. The plants that went through this freezing procedure are found to be resistant to cold weather and pests. Kagoshima Prefecture – traceability appealing to food safety conscious consumers Kami … Continue reading

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Japan aims to reduce household food waste in half by 2030

TOKYO, June 20 — Japan has set up a target to halve household food waste to 2.15 million tons by 2030 from the fiscal 2000 level, the government said. The environment ministry will work with municipalities to reduce household food waste, including campaigns to raise awareness among consumers. The move is part of the government’s efforts to follow the U.N.’s sustainable development goals (SDGs), which seek the fight against food waste at the international level. Last year, Japanese households threw away 2.89 million tons of food that could have been eaten, according to the agriculture ministry. That means it needs to reduce 25 percent from the 2017 level in order to … Continue reading

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Gifu pref. slaughterhouse approved for beef export to Australia

TAKAYAMA, June 18 — A slaughterhouse in Gifu prefecture, home to Hida beef, was approved for beef exports to Australia by the ministry of health, labor and welfare. The move comes as Australia has lifted a 17-year ban on beef imports from Japan in May, which could boost Japanese exports to the lucrative meat market. Shipments of eligible Japanese beef have been allowed to enter Australia without any age limit conditions, according to the agriculture ministry. The slaughterhouse in Takayama city aims to start shipments as early as late July. The facility is also approved for exports to the EU and the U.S. Australia’s lifting the import ban is a … Continue reading

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Heavy floods and landslides leave more than 200 dead in Japan

SOJA, July 10 ― The Japanese government has issued new alerts over record rains that have killed more than 200 people and left dozens missing in central and western Japan. The torrential rains caused heavy floods and landslides across central and western parts of the country, prompting evacuation orders for nearly four million people. In Soja city, Okayama prefecture, the swirling Takahashi river water burst its 5-meter banks and swept away all the efforts of fruit trees and greenhouses that the Kariya family had made. “There was a greenhouse here. Where has it gone?” said 69-year-old Yuriko Kariya, with a big sigh. Her husband, Mamoru Kariya, 71, said he has … Continue reading

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