JCP Chair Shii’s speech at general meeting of forestry cooperative

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

JCP Chair Shii’s speech at general meeting of forestry cooperative

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo was for the first time invited to speak at the 26th annual general meeting of the National Federation of Forest Owners' Co-operative Association (Zenmoriren) on November 25 in Tokyo. The gist of his speech is as follows:

On behalf of the JCP, I want to express my sincere respect to the 1.6 million Zenmoriren members for their strenuous effort to preserve and expand forests throughout the country so that rich forests will be handed down to next generations.

Forests, which account for 70 percent of the nation’s total land area, are Japan’s irreplaceable assets.

In the face of increasing global demands on wood and the scarcity of forest resources, Japan should no longer depend exclusively on importing timber.

Securing and planting forests has a tremendous significance; it can help not only to protect the local environment but also preserve the global environment.

The government administration and all political parties are called upon to fully recognize the great potential for growth in the forest industry and take drastic steps to develop this.

The forest industry, from lumbering to the use of wood in housing and furniture, is firmly established in local regions throughout Japan. It has a great contribution to make in creating a low-carbon society, specifically with the development of biomass fuel.

All this means that the forest industry is one of key industries sustaining the local economy and society.

Forests in Germany, for example, are only about 40 percent of Japan’s forest area. However, Germany’s wood self-supply ratio is above 100 percent, providing 1.3 million people with job opportunities. This is far more, almost two times, than the 0.75 million in the automobile industry. Germany has reportedly no “marginal villages.”

Japan’s political parties and the administration are urged to put such great potential of the forest industry into full play. The JCP is prepared to work hard to this end by joining hands with all of you.

The JCP maintains that high priority should be given to the forest industry because it is one of the nation’s key industries sustaining regional economies with the potential to contribute to realize a low-carbon society.

The government’s policy of importing foreign timber should be replaced by using domestic timber in an environmentally sustainable manner. Also, state budgets should be drastically increased to help attract younger people to this industry and to develop basic infrastructure for this sector, including the construction of logging roads.

Expressing my agreement with and support for the slogan of your general meeting; “Toward rehabilitation of forests and forest industry,” I want to conclude my address by wishing your meeting a great success.

- Akahata, November 26, 2009