October 27 & 28, 2021

The Japan Family Farmers Movement (Nouminren) on October 27 issued a statement under the name of President Hasegawa Toshio in protest against Liberal Democratic Party Vice President Aso Taro’s remark which was an affront not only to rice farmers in Hokkaido, but also to international efforts to combat climate change.

The Nouminren statement also urges LDP President and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio to suspend Aso from his position of power.

Aso made the remark in question two days earlier in Hokkaido’s Otaru City at a street campaign held by an LDP candidate running in the October 31 general election. Giving a speech in support, Aso said that rice on Japan’s northernmost island, Hokkaido, became tastier thanks to global warming, not to efforts made by farmers.

In the statement, Nouminren pointed out that in Hokkaido, farmers and agricultural research centers have dedicated their efforts to produce tasty, quality rice even in cold climates, stating that it is unacceptable for Aso to make a remark denying this fact.

The statement also pointed out that Aso’s behavior should not be tolerated as climate change is a global issue which needs to be tackled with the utmost urgency.