Consumer groups and farmers in Japan fear the repercussions of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, which is quickly moving forward on the heels of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's conference of the other 10 nations (including Australia, Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam) now involved in talks.
Japan is calling for a possible signing in March after working diligently to lead the agreement forward even after President Donald Trump withdrew the United States, sending the trade pact negotiations into chaos. Japanese citizens' groups and farmers, though, are concerned that the agreement may weaken some of Japan's existing laws regarding genetically modified organisms (GMOs), as well as open Japan's domestic agriculture sector to competition from large multinational firms.
Citizen campaigns against GMOS