Japanese join IFA in opposition to world trade talks on agriculture

JAPANESE farm leaders and the Irish Farmers Association are to work together in outright opposition to the direction of the current world trade discussions on agriculture.

Mamoru Moteki, president of the Japanese farm organisation, JA Zenchu, and IFA president Padraig Walshe discussed the issues before the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at a meeting in Dublin yesterday.

Both agreed that food security, the environment, biodiversity, the multi-functionality of agriculture, equivalence of standards and country of origin labelling must all be recognised and protected in any trade deal.