The supervision of genetically modified food in Japan tends to be based on the management of production process. Compared with the clear attitude of the United States and the European Union, Japan has adopted a more eclectic attitude. Although the research and development of agricultural transgenic technology in Japan started late, it has made rapid progress, and its comprehensive research and development capability and a number of individual technologies rank among the top in the world. Compared with the United States and some developed countries in Europe, although the research and development of agricultural transgenic technology in Japan started late, it made rapid progress and made breakthrough achievements. Its comprehensive research and development capabilities and a number of individual technologies are in the forefront of the world, and a large number of new varieties or materials of genetically modified animals and plants have been developed.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is responsible for approving the research and development stage of laboratory biotechnology. 1987, the province promulgated the experimental guide of recombinant DNA, which is responsible for approving the recombinant DNA research in the experimental stage.
By formulating laws and regulations and issuing relevant announcements and guidelines, Japan has formed a safety review system for genetically modified foods. In Japan, the applicant submits an application to the Supervision and Safety Section of the Ministry of Food and Health, and then it is reviewed by the Pharmaceutical Food Hygiene Review Committee according to the safety review standards and the latest scientific knowledge. The official newspaper published the results of the review.
(Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe)
Prime Minister Abe is a staunch supporter of GM promotion. He has repeatedly supported genetic modification in public and actively made legislative efforts for its promotion.
Japan's Law on Labeling Genetically Modified Foods stipulates specific labeling methods for five kinds of agricultural products that have passed Japan's genetically modified safety certification, such as soybeans, corn, potatoes, rapeseed and cottonseed, as well as protein foods that use these designated agricultural products as the main raw materials and still have recombinant DNA or its code after processing, and stipulates the items that should not appear on processed foods and food labels that do not need labeling.
Technology started late and developed rapidly.
It was not until 1976 that Japan's National Science and Technology Conference held the first seminar on transgenic research, and began to discuss the research trends abroad and how Japan treated transgenic research. It was not until 198 1 that a government agency was established to formally carry out relevant research.
However, after entering the new century, the Japanese government has adopted various methods, including highlighting the principle of establishing projects in key areas and obtaining more world advanced technologies and intellectual property rights in a short time; In order to make effective use of transgenic technology, research and development should be carried out, and the goal should be determined according to the needs. With strong scientific and technological strength and talent advantages, Japan will rapidly improve the level of transgenic technology.
This progress is not only reflected in basic research and development, but also in the emergence of new achievements. Japan has made full use of the height of rice genome research, rapidly promoted the functional analysis of important genes in the agricultural field, and developed a large number of agricultural transgenic breeding materials with excellent characters and special components, which has the basic conditions for effectively applying transgenic technology to variety improvement.
However, as the main body of research and development of genetically modified crops, national research institutions have effectively applied DNA identification and other technologies to variety improvement and reached a considerable level, but they have not yet reached the stage of industrial development; As the main force in the basic research of transgenic technology, most of the achievements of transgenic technology are still in the academic stage and have not really been transferred to practical and commercial disciplines.
Driving and blocking of industrialization
Due to the above reasons, although Japan imports a large number of genetically modified agricultural products such as feed, grain and oil raw materials every year, and the government allows some genetically modified crops to be planted in China, according to the data of 2009, except for the blue genetically modified roses of that year, there are almost no commercially planted genetically modified crops in Japan.
However, some Japanese companies and local public research institutions hold a negative attitude towards transgenic technology. As the main force to realize the practicality and commercialization of agricultural transgenic technology, these private enterprises think that many rules about transgenic technology are too strict, the waiting time for comprehensive promotion is too long, and the benefits of transgenic R&D investment cannot be seen in a short time, so they are extremely dissatisfied with this situation. Others interrupt domestic research and development and directly transfer to foreign markets.
In contrast, some enterprises are engaged in the practical development and commercial operation of transgenic technology. For example, if genetically modified carnations are cultivated in Colombia and shipped back to Japan for sale, they can be commercialized.
(Transgenic Carnation Variety)
On the other hand, the Japanese government actively promotes the industrialization of agricultural genetically modified technology, and advocates that the government should lead basic research and practical development, create a good environment and eliminate public doubts. Specific measures include strengthening intellectual property awareness, encouraging and supporting universities, research institutions and venture enterprises to actively apply for patents, especially abroad; Improve the incentive mechanism; Strengthen the management and training of R&D talents; At the same time, information can be provided by establishing special web pages of agricultural transgenic technology, holding consultation meetings and two-way communication with consumers, so as to solve doubts and create market conditions for industrialization.
Management value? Is it safe? Two words
The Japanese government's support for the research and development of biotechnology such as agricultural genetically modified organisms has become more obvious since the beginning of the new century: in 2003, Japan promulgated the Law on Regulating the Use Rules of Genetically Modified Organisms and Ensuring Biodiversity, and for the purpose of industrialization, it has successively formulated and improved the institutional guarantee system to ensure the safety of genetically modified technologies; In 2004, the Japanese Food Safety Committee formulated the Food Safety Evaluation Standard for Genetically Modified (Seed Plants). In 2007, it was established? Association for the promotion of research and development of genetically modified crops? Wait a minute.
In the management of agricultural transgenic technology achievements, it is mainly manifested in safety. Including managing the impact of agricultural transgenic achievements on biodiversity; Safety management of technical achievements of genetically modified food; Safety management of technical achievements of genetically modified feed.
Japan also promulgated the labeling law of genetically modified food in 1999, and began to implement the labeling system of genetically modified agricultural products in accordance with the Food Hygiene Law and the Agricultural and Forestry Material Standardization and Quality Labeling Law from 200 1.
According to the data in 2009, the types of food that must be genetically modified are genetically modified crops whose food safety has been confirmed and circulated in the market, such as soybean, corn, potato, rape, cottonseed, alfalfa, beet, etc. Among the processed foods, those that remain in protein through gene transfer or gene transfer, such as tofu, oily food, natto, soy sauce, cereal fast food, potato cake, popcorn, potato flour, etc.
(genetically modified products from Japanese supermarkets)
To sum up, in the face of the rapid development of transgenic technology in the world, developed countries registered patents first, and the planting area of genetically modified crops in the world continued to expand. The Japanese government also began to take measures, including strengthening the research on the safety mechanism of agricultural genetically modified, accelerating practical research and development, and promoting the transfer of results. Japan has established a relatively perfect safety management system of transgenic technology achievements through a series of measures, but its pace of promoting the industrialization of agricultural transgenic technology is doomed to be difficult.
In 2009, Yasuyuki Nakajima of the National Institute of Animal Health published an article entitled "Long-term Biosafety" in the Journal of Open Plant Science, Volume 3, pages 49-53. Conversation of transgenic (GM) plants: Resistance to transgene in Sect Bt 1 1 corn does not affect the multi-representation or life span of mice. (Long-term biological safety evaluation of transgenic crops: insect-resistant Bt 1 1 transgenic corn does not affect the performance and life span of mice)
This study lasted for several years and was carried out for five generations, of which the fourth generation was fed to animals until they died naturally. The mouse with the longest life span actually lived 1072 days, which is equivalent to human life span 1 17 years. The final conclusion is that Bt transgenic corn is harmless. It does not affect the natural life span of mice, nor does it affect the offspring of mice.
The latest counselor's report released by the Overseas Agricultural Service Center of the US Department of Agriculture shows that Japan is the world's largest importer of genetically modified food and feed. According to official data, Japan imports about180,000 tons of corn and about 5150,000 tons of soybeans every year, most of which are genetically modified varieties. Japan also imports billions of dollars of processed foods, including genetically modified vegetable oil, sugar, yeast and other food additives.
In the face of the rapid development of transgenic technology in the world, developed countries registered patents first, and the planting area of transgenic crops in the world continued to expand. The Japanese government also began to take measures, including strengthening the research on the safety mechanism of agricultural genetic modification, accelerating practical research and development, and promoting the transfer of results. Through a series of measures, Japan has established a relatively perfect safety management system for transgenic technology achievements, which is ready for promoting the industrialization of agricultural transgenic technology.