Securing food sovereignty is world trend: Ichida

Japan Press Weekly

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

Securing food sovereignty is world trend: Ichida

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi on November 19 said that what the government should do is not to put everything under the control of market principles but to establish rules to protect food sovereignty.

At a House of Councilors Budget Committee meeting, Ichida took up the government plan to enter into negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP).

Ichida said, "In Japan, the Japan Business Federation and especially large exporting companies such as auto and electronics manufacturers are eager to join in the TPP. However, the government estimates that an increase in exports due to Japan's participation in the TPP will push up Japan's GDP (Gross Domestic Products) by only 0.5 percent."

Ichida pointed out that the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries industries have multiple functions, including land conservation, maintenance of environment and scenery, and preservation of culture.

Responding to Ichida, a government official showed a report of the Science Council of Japan evaluating that the multi-functional benefits from Japan's agriculture amount to 8 trillion yen. The same evaluation will denote 70 trillion yen for forestry, and 11 trillion yen for fisheries, he added.

If Japan enters into the TPP and all tariffs are eliminated, the government will have to pay 3.7 trillion yen to maintain functions that agriculture used to have.

Ichida said "Joining the TPP will have a catastrophic impact on agriculture, forestry, and fisheries as well as on local communities in order to promote the interests of a handful of large corporations. At present, the trend calling for establishing rules guaranteeing each nation's food sovereignty is spreading worldwide."

Ichida went on to say, "The JCP doesn't oppose an expansion of trade through a fair integration of the world economy, but agriculture, food, the environment, and employment are unfit to put under the control of market principles. Establishing rules to protect such markets is the way for true development of economy in the 21^st century."

- Akahata, November 20, 2010