MOA Organic News Letter Vol.

1 BioFach Japan 2011 by Asako Kawai & Chisato Maeda Master of Organic Agriculture, Wageningen University (24 Nov. 2011)

Vol.1

Interview @ BioFach Tokyo We

interviewed some interesting exhibitors engaged in food safety, organic certification, health, and also consumers. Followings are the details of the interviews. (A&C) Yukinosato network (Producer group)

One

Introduction BioFach Japan was held from 1st to 3rd November

2011 in Tokyo (). It has started since 2001, when organic regulation (JAS) was executed. BioFach in Nurnberg (Germany) targets traders mostly; we can only taste and make contract to trade the products but cannot buy there. On the other hand, BioFach in Tokyo seems to target consumers, selling foods and other commercial products directly at the site. Japanese organic movement is slow, though, its market is still the largest in Asia; 1.8 billion US$ of organic products are imported. However, after the earthquake hit North Eastern Japan in 11th March 2011, most foreign companies and organizations, and also some Japanese farmers groups canceled the trip to BioFach in Tokyo. According to an exhibitor, the number of exhibitors has decreased by around 60% compare to last year. On the other hand, there is increasing consumer demands in Japan for safe food made by farmers within their communities, after the nuclear explosion. Consumers in Japan are shifting the mind to make importance on locally available sustainable products as our own responsibility. (C)

of the farmers group who were interviewed came from Western Japan, called Yukinosato network. This group is organized by regional government, local NGO, consumer group, and organic farmers. Products offered are rice and vegetables, which are sold at local and regional market. They also have box system that delivering products directory from farmers to regional and national consumers. Even though farmers belong to the group, they have freedom to have own network to sell products to consumers and invite them to their farm. As the group has been growing through entering new (and young) organic farmers, they want to expand their business to Eastern region. Therefore, they came to BioFach to promote their activities and find new customers. (A)

Photo: New young farmers in the group with their products

MOA Organic News Letter Vol.1 BioFach Japan 2011 by Asako Kawai & Chisato Maeda Master of Organic Agriculture, Wageningen University (24 Nov. 2011)

Source: Interview and HP: http://yukinosato.com/ (sorry, only Japanese is available!)

Four-S. co. ltd. (Processor)

Organic

construction material is new industry in Japan. Four-S, which was interviewed, works for an environmentally friendly interior work for offices. The main material is Baggase fiber (sugarcane residue of sugar extract) and organic straw of Flax (or Linseed: Linum usitatissimum). In the BioFach, heating shield board from Flax was promoted. As the company is young (started in 2008) and Flax production in Japan is not common, organic Flax production is still in development. Flax production in Europe is successful, according to the chief executive of the company. This can be because this plants are the part of life in European people. Seeds are used in bread making and oil extraction, straw is used for fibre, and residues are used bed for animals. Use of flax heating shield board is quite common in Scandinavian countries. In Japan, there used to be Flax production before 1960. Production was for the fibre processing. However, after introducing fossil fuel, fibre industry sifted from plant material to inorganic fibre material. Accordingly, Flax production was disappeared. Flax fibre processing takes time about 6 month from sowing to harvesting and pre-processing. The sunk cost during plant production is a huge disadvantage. It is not attractive for both processor and producer if we just talk about fibre processing. Therefore, it should be taken into account another aspects: promoting use of linseeds and introducing flax plants as fallow. The company does not only process flax board, but also collaborate with producers and seed company (NL). Further collaboration is necessary with other stakeholders that can promote linseed products (bread and oil) and fibre development (e.g. new fibre with cotton). (A) Source: Interview and HP ( http://www.4-s.co.jp/company/company_english.ht ml )

Photo: Frax flowers by Nakayabu-noen

Seed Savers Network in Japan

Seed savers Network has established in Australia

in 1986, and pioneered community seed networks in around 40 countries. It promotes seed exchange, and trains farmers as seed savers. There are several local seed savers networks in Japan; such as CSO peaceseed, Seed Savers Japan, Japan Organic Agriculture Association (JOAA), etc. The Convention on Biological Diversity COP10, which was held in Nagoya, Japan in October 2010, facilitated the dialogue of the working group People & Seeds for the Future. It proposed several actions to preserve local varieties and traditional knowledge, to promote and educate producers and consumers, and to utilize genetic resources in sustainable ways. However, market for organic seeds is not yet well developed in Japan. According to the report published by JOAA in 2009 and 2010, 58% of

MOA Organic News Letter Vol.1 BioFach Japan 2011 by Asako Kawai & Chisato Maeda Master of Organic Agriculture, Wageningen University (24 Nov. 2011)

the responded organic farmers are using organic seeds, mostly produced by themselves (92.8%). Only a few seed companies are producing organic seeds in Japan. 90.9% of the responded companies answered that they were not interested in producing organic seeds in future. It is required to provide stable amount and quality of organic seeds in the market and to establish the system to test and assure the quality. (C) Source: Seed Savers Network (English) (http://www.seedsavers.net/seed-blog/former-intern s-run-seed-exchanges-japan )

Organic Movement in Japan Japanese

Organic Movement has been started since 1975. It was the time when social movements against industrial pollution, which was caused behind the rapid economic growth after world war II, were active. Some Japanese scientists also warned through media. Incidentally, Complex pollution, Japanese version of Silent spring, was published by Sawako Ariyoshi in 1975. That year, Yukinosato network, which was interviewed in BioFach was established. The group is categorized as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Responding the warning of industrialization, 30 farmers in Tanba region () organized to produce organic products that is the beginning of the group. Consumers who were sympathised farmers movement joined the group and it expanded Kobe city and Osaka city. Nowadays new and young farmers enter the group and this group is recognize as a model case that organic farmers and consumers are organized. In Eastern Japan, there is the core consumer group of organic movement, called Daichi wo mamoru kai (http://www.daichi.or.jp/corporate/ only in Japanese). This group (nowadays company) was born in 1975 as well. They have a strong network between consumers and organic farmers in national level. Not only that, they are an advocator for sustainable society organizing several social movement quite actively (slow life, local food consumption, food mileage etc). Unfortunately, they were not present in BioFach.

Photo: Organic seeds sold at BioFach Tokyo

Organic JAS (Japan Agriculture Standard) (Certification) Organic JAS has established in 2010 in line with the guidelines for the production, processing, labeling, and marketing, adopted by Codex Alimentarius Commission. There are around 56 certification bodies which are accredited by Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery in Japan. The law was revised in 2005, and livestock products were included. However, fiber (cotton), fish, and wine are not included in the Organic JAS system. The farmland certified as organic is less than 0.2% in Japan. The cost to gain certification is high for small-scale farmers. Although they could sell their products as organic without certification within their community before 2000, it is not allowed now. It is required to increase consumers awareness for Organic JAS to increase premium price for organic products (C).

Contact Asako Kawai MSc Organic Agriculture (Graduated in Oct. 2011), MSc Plant Science (Current), Wageningen University asako.kawai@wur.nl Chisato Maeda MSc Organic Agriculture (Graduated in Aug. 2011), Wageningen University maeda.chisato@gmail.com