Japan has been conducting studies on GM food crops including soybeans and rapeseed since 2006, and the latest 2020/2021 report has concluded that the cultivation of these GM crops poses no risk to local biodiversity.
Despite Japan’s best efforts though, local consumers do still appear hesitant to accept GM foods as a safe food source – according to a 2016 Nara Medical University study, the government’s efforts do appear to be paying off in terms of consumers understanding and accepting GM technology, but not so much when it applies to food.
“Although no health hazards are known, respondents in Japan strongly recognize GM food as a health risk,” said the study authors.
“The belief that GM foods poses health hazards is likely to be associated with their perception of these, which in turn appears to be related to cultural predispositions towards uncertainty avoidance.”
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“[It must also be kept] in mind that Japanese cultural traits place a high importance on social balance and harmony, which may demotivate consumers from express their true opinion, and this cultural predisposition should be carefully considered and measured [when devising strategies to increase consumer acceptance] of GM foods.”
