Tag Archives: Editorial

【Editorial】 Reducing food losses and waste – Now is the time to reenergize the spirit of “Mottainai” (April 17, 2013)

  Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and other organizations are strengthening measures to reduce global food losses and waste, as 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted around the world every year while as many as 900 million people are suffering from hunger. In Japan, diverse initiatives to fight food waste are underway nationwide. We hope such efforts will reverse this unacceptable trend. The world population is expected to grow from the current 7 billion to 9 billion by 2050, but food supply is believed to become even tighter, under such circumstances as grains being diverted to producing biofuel. On the other hand, a great amount of … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Agriculture | Tagged | Comments Off on 【Editorial】 Reducing food losses and waste – Now is the time to reenergize the spirit of “Mottainai” (April 17, 2013)

【Editorial】 Japan-U.S. preliminary talks reach agreement; Japan reveals its weak-kneed negotiating stance (April 13, 2013)

  The bilateral preparatory negotiations between Japan and the United States, dubbed the “entrance fee” for joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade talks, were concluded. Japan acceded to U.S. demands and made significant concessions in the areas of beef, automobiles and insurance. Not a glimpse of “a strong negotiating power” as insisted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe could be seen in the negotiations concerning Japan’s participation in the TPP. Japan is expected to join the TPP negotiations as early as July, but how can we expect the government, with such a diplomatic stance leaning heavily toward the U.S., to protect key agricultural products, the Japanese people’s lives and the national … Continue reading

Posted in Trade Talks | Tagged | Comments Off on 【Editorial】 Japan-U.S. preliminary talks reach agreement; Japan reveals its weak-kneed negotiating stance (April 13, 2013)

【Editorial】 Japanese-professors fight against TPP – Close coordination and presentation of their wisdom and intellect can become a strong force to stop TPP (April 12, 2013)

  A campaign against the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade talks has gained a strong reinforcement. University professors across the nation together stood up against Japan’s participation in the TPP negotiations, supported by nearly 1,000 members of the country’s academic community. On Tuesday, April 9, they submitted to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a petition calling for revocation of his announcement to join the TPP talks and withdrawal from the preliminary negotiations. They expressed a strong will to work with other groups and people to continue the campaign against the TPP until the government decides to walk away from the negotiating table. The members are experts on the TPP negotiations and have a … Continue reading

Posted in Trade Talks | Tagged | Comments Off on 【Editorial】 Japanese-professors fight against TPP – Close coordination and presentation of their wisdom and intellect can become a strong force to stop TPP (April 12, 2013)

【Editorial】 The recovery of the rice market prices – overcoming of aftereffects and stabilizing the market are indispensable (April 10, 2013)

  The sales of rice harvested in fiscal 2012 are now in its final stage, without marking a decline in prices as some had feared. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ relative price for 60 kilograms of brown rice is at a level of around 16,500 yen, 1,300 yen up from last year. Compared with the nightmare of fiscal 2010, when rice prices plummeted to around 12,000 yen, this year’s prices are about 3,800 yen higher, which is about the same level as 10 years ago. Some buyers complain about the recent price increases, but the prices have only increased to the level a little higher than that before … Continue reading

Posted in Others | Tagged | Comments Off on 【Editorial】 The recovery of the rice market prices – overcoming of aftereffects and stabilizing the market are indispensable (April 10, 2013)

【Editorial】 Negotiations on milk prices stuck on a rough passage — dairy farmers put under serious distress (April 9, 2013)

  The producer-processor milk price negotiations for fiscal 2013 are going far from smoothly. The situation could do serious harm to the domestic dairy farming. Dairy farmers and the dairy industry should work together to raise milk prices as quickly as possible, while improving safety net for the dairy industry. Designated fresh milk producers and dairy products processors both have been trying to settle negotiations for milk prices before the end of fiscal 2012, but have failed to narrow their differences so far. Considering the fact that prices for several products have gone up this month, milk prices staying the same is a problem which should be solved urgently. The … Continue reading

Posted in Others | Tagged | Comments Off on 【Editorial】 Negotiations on milk prices stuck on a rough passage — dairy farmers put under serious distress (April 9, 2013)