A team of Japanese regulatory officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) visited the U.S. recently to learn how U.S. agriculture stakeholders manage and regulate biotech crops.
The team visited major export terminals at New Orleans, Illinois and Iowa farm, county and river elevators. They also met with seed-technology providers for a discussion of U.S. biotechnology research and development. The team also met with USDA, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Food and Drug Administration officials responsible for U.S. biotechnology assessment.
The trade team was one of 30 scheduled to visit the U.S. grain production region this year to see how U.S. feed products are manufactured and prepared for export. These visits are a central part of the U.S. Grains Council’s (USGC) efforts to promote direct sales of U.S. feed products and assure that the marketplace is open to U.S. farmers.
Japan has a well-developed regulatory system for biotechnology, with food-safety approvals covered jointly by MAFF and MHLW, with one agency responsible for safety assessment and the other responsible for risk management. USGC staff nationwide and in Washington work to provide constant in-service training for Japanese regulators so they can stay abreast of the latest developments.
More Stories
- CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD & AGRICULTURE: CDFA Announces one Vacancy on the Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee
- AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION: Support Ag Literacy Through the AFB Foundation for Agriculture’s Online Silent Auction
- AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION: Farm Bureau: Members Accept Leadership Roles on National Committees
- CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD & AGRICULTURE: CDFA Office of the Farm to Fork Invites Application for 2021 Farm to School Grants
- CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD & AGRICULTURE: CDFA Awards Funding to Support Agricultural Education and Leadership Opportunities as part of the Calag Plate Program
- AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION: AFBF Welcomes Nomination of Katherine Tai for U.S. Trade Representative
- CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD & AGRICULTURE: CDFA Announces Vacancies on Feed Inspection Advisory Board Technical Advisory Subcomittee
- AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION: AFBF Stands-Up for Farmers in Predatory Shakedown
- CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD & AGRICULTURE: CFDA Issues Stop Use Notice and Statewide Quarantine on Organic Fertilizer AGRO Gold WS
- AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION: Registration Open for American Farm Bureau Virtual Convention, Featuring Mike Rowe, Rorke Denver and Beth Ford