JA Zenchu President Akira Banzai
Japan’s Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives (JA Zenchu) and the United States’ National Farmers Union issued a joint statement on Wednesday, May 15 (Tuesday, May 14, U.S. time), to express strong concerns over negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade framework. It noted that agriculture must be treated differently from other economic sectors in trade agreements, due to the fundamental importance of food security, rural economies and cultural considerations. It said that the TPP negotiations raise serious questions of national sovereignty, as the talks cover important issues for the citizens of each country, ranging from food safety to health care.
The joint statement, the fruit of cooperation between agricultural organizations beyond national borders, is aimed at asserting the important issues of concern regarding the TPP talks toward participating governments and the international community.
The statement, signed by JA Zenchu President Akira Banzai and NFU President Roger Johnson, was announced on the day when the TPP participants began a new round of talks in Lima, Peru. The two organizations agreed on issuing a joint statement on the TPP at the World Farmers Organization’s general assembly held in Niigata in April. It is the first time for JA Zenchu to issue a joint statement with a foreign agricultural organization.
NFU President Roger Johnson
The statement strongly urged the TPP negotiators “to fully consider the potentially damaging effects brought about by an unbalanced trade agreement.” It raised agriculture, food security and health care as specific issues of concern. As for agriculture, the statement noted that both countries “have sensitive agricultural products that must be respected.” It also called for greater transparency in the negotiating process and study of effects of the TPP.
NFU is an agricultural organization representing family farmers and is comprised of more than 200,000 members. At a bilateral meeting with JA Zenchu in Niigata, President Johnson listed possible harmful effects of the TPP in a broad range, such as increase in sugar imports in the U.S., adverse effects on the protection of dairy products and decrease in employment.
JA Zenchu plans to send a group of representatives to the U.S. as early as June to hold a meeting with NFU again and reconfirm their cooperation efforts.
(May 16, 2013)