Kyodo News Japan is the focus of mounting attention over its stance on the issue of establishing standards for foods made from genetically modified organisms, a subject taken up by a U.N. task force during a meeting in Japan in March.
The main issue regarding the proposed standards is that of "traceability." This is a system whereby the various steps involved from the cultivation and processing of farm products to the manufacture of food products and their distribution, even after they are marketed, are tracked and pinpointed.
The European Union wants to introduce a system of this kind, while the United States and Canada, the biggest producers of GMO foods, oppose such a move. Thus far, Japan has not clarified its position on the issue.