Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and Ministry of Environment (MOE) started one month public comment period regarding environmental risk assessment for three GM events on February 20, 2024. The public comment will close on March 20.

One event is GM canola with tolerance to dicamba submitted by Bayer Cropscience for cultivation. Others are GM soybean resistance to lepidopteran insects submitted by Bayer Cropscience and GM petunia　with green fluorescence submitted by Hakusan and NEC solution innovator for in-country field trials.

GM plants are regulated under Cartagena law in Japan and required to approvals for domestic use including in-country field trials. Biodiversity Risk Assessment Committee under MAFF and MOE conduct environmental risk assessment based on application dossiers and data set which are provided by applicants. After technical review by the committee, MAFF and MOE open public comment period prior to grant approvals.

Following is a link to MAFF website for the public comment (in Japanese).

https://www.maff.go.jp/j/press/syouan/nouan/240220.html