Foods Produced in Japan Lack Certification Required by the Olympic Games
TSUJI Yoshiki / Chairman and Head of the Board of Directors, Tsuji Culinary Institute
October 26, 2017
We are now three years away from hosting the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. In retrospect, the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 was an event that bolstered Japan’s national prestige and led to the period of high economic growth.
That was when frozen food made its appearance at the Olympic Village, and the experience of being exposed to diverse culinary cultures from around the world had a positive impact on the culinary culture of postwar Japan. As one international event led to another, from the Olympics to the World Expo, the eating habits of the Japanese became westernized to a considerable degree.
Currently, there is one issue that is becoming a shared concern within Japan’s culinary circles with respect to the Olympic Games; if things remain the way they are, there will be an absolute shortage of Japanese food products to serve at the Olympic Village or at the stadiums .
According to rules introduced after the London Olympics in 2012, only foodstuffs with internationally recognized certification for environmental consideration and hygiene management will be allowed for use at the Games. However, Japan lags way behind in establishing its system of certification based on global standards.
By the end of the twentieth century, Europe had already created a certification system for Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), which is well established by now. Sustainable agriculture is the goal of this system, and the requirements for certification are: preservation of the environment and biodiversity; proper control of pesticides and food hygiene; safe and comfortable working conditions; and consideration for animal welfare.
In Japan, where certifications of this kind have yet to be embraced, there is a tendency to view such requirements as unreasonably high hurdles being imposed by foreign countries.
However, Japan is faced with pressing issues that include low birth rates, an aging population, and the risk of losing regional communities that had sustained its food production. The Olympic Games should serve as an opportunity for us to embrace the spirit of global certifications and consider making our agriculture and fishery industries more sustainable. Japan must create an environment that facilitates obtaining international certifications, not from an economic standpoint of simply promoting exports, but from the standpoint of preserving the natural environment and ensuring safety and security for its people, as well as maintaining the health and pride of those who work in the agriculture and fishery industries.
Seeking certification involves cumbersome document management and associated costs, which would stretch the resources of the rapidly aging population of small-scale farmers. Instead of leaving the task of obtaining certification solely to the site of food production, we should recognize it as a national issue that is of concern to everyone.
It would require a proactive national effort, including sharing the costs, at each stage of distribution, processing and consumption. Sophisticated policies would also be essential.
To shoulder part of this effort, the TSUJI Culinary Institute formulated a manifesto for the food industry in March this year under the “Cool Japan Inter-Hub Collaboration Project ” sponsored by the Cabinet Office. The slogan, “Handing down the joy of eating to our descendants in the next century,” was reflected in the manifesto. To reconstruct the food system into one that exists in harmony with nature, we proposed creating an educational hub for food that integrates the humanities and sciences by developing partnerships among those involved in the production, distribution, processing and manufacturing of food as well as chefs, and consumers, government, educational institutions and the media.
We hope to continue our activities as an educational institution specializing in the domain of food by forging partnerships with related institutions, so that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics - a festival of human dreams – will be an opportunity to nurture a sense of responsibility in the various issues surrounding food among the younger generation.
Yoshiki Tsuji is Chairman and Head of the Board of Directors of Tsuji Culinary Institute. This article was originally published in the morning edition of the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper on April 4, 2017.
That was when frozen food made its appearance at the Olympic Village, and the experience of being exposed to diverse culinary cultures from around the world had a positive impact on the culinary culture of postwar Japan. As one international event led to another, from the Olympics to the World Expo, the eating habits of the Japanese became westernized to a considerable degree.
Currently, there is one issue that is becoming a shared concern within Japan’s culinary circles with respect to the Olympic Games; if things remain the way they are, there will be an absolute shortage of Japanese food products to serve at the Olympic Village or at the stadiums .
According to rules introduced after the London Olympics in 2012, only foodstuffs with internationally recognized certification for environmental consideration and hygiene management will be allowed for use at the Games. However, Japan lags way behind in establishing its system of certification based on global standards.
By the end of the twentieth century, Europe had already created a certification system for Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), which is well established by now. Sustainable agriculture is the goal of this system, and the requirements for certification are: preservation of the environment and biodiversity; proper control of pesticides and food hygiene; safe and comfortable working conditions; and consideration for animal welfare.
In Japan, where certifications of this kind have yet to be embraced, there is a tendency to view such requirements as unreasonably high hurdles being imposed by foreign countries.
However, Japan is faced with pressing issues that include low birth rates, an aging population, and the risk of losing regional communities that had sustained its food production. The Olympic Games should serve as an opportunity for us to embrace the spirit of global certifications and consider making our agriculture and fishery industries more sustainable. Japan must create an environment that facilitates obtaining international certifications, not from an economic standpoint of simply promoting exports, but from the standpoint of preserving the natural environment and ensuring safety and security for its people, as well as maintaining the health and pride of those who work in the agriculture and fishery industries.
Seeking certification involves cumbersome document management and associated costs, which would stretch the resources of the rapidly aging population of small-scale farmers. Instead of leaving the task of obtaining certification solely to the site of food production, we should recognize it as a national issue that is of concern to everyone.
It would require a proactive national effort, including sharing the costs, at each stage of distribution, processing and consumption. Sophisticated policies would also be essential.
To shoulder part of this effort, the TSUJI Culinary Institute formulated a manifesto for the food industry in March this year under the “Cool Japan Inter-Hub Collaboration Project ” sponsored by the Cabinet Office. The slogan, “Handing down the joy of eating to our descendants in the next century,” was reflected in the manifesto. To reconstruct the food system into one that exists in harmony with nature, we proposed creating an educational hub for food that integrates the humanities and sciences by developing partnerships among those involved in the production, distribution, processing and manufacturing of food as well as chefs, and consumers, government, educational institutions and the media.
We hope to continue our activities as an educational institution specializing in the domain of food by forging partnerships with related institutions, so that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics - a festival of human dreams – will be an opportunity to nurture a sense of responsibility in the various issues surrounding food among the younger generation.
Yoshiki Tsuji is Chairman and Head of the Board of Directors of Tsuji Culinary Institute. This article was originally published in the morning edition of the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper on April 4, 2017.
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
五輪で認証されぬ日本の食材
辻芳樹 / 辻調理師専門学校校長
2017年 10月 26日
東京五輪・パラリンピックの開催まであと３年。１９６４年の東京五輪は高度経済成長
期につながる国威発揚型のイベントだった。
選手村に登場した冷凍食品や世界の多様な食文化の吸収は、少なからず戦後日本の食
文化に良い教訓を与えた。五輪から万博へと続く国際的な催事を通して、日本人の食ス
タイルも大きく西欧化に傾いた。
そしていま、五輪をめぐる食の世界で、ある懸念がささやかれている。現状のままで
は選手村や会場で提供できる日本の食材が圧倒的に足りなくなるという問題だ。
２０１２年のロンドン五輪以降、環境や衛生管理に配慮した国際的に通用する「認証
」を受けた食材しか使えないというルールが登場した。だが、日本では、こうした国際
基準の「認証」制度の普及が著しく遅れているのが現状だ。
欧州では既に20世紀末、農業生産工程管理（ＧＡＰ）という認証制度が誕生し、定着
している。その認証の求めるところは、持続可能な農業を目指し、環境や生物多様性の
保全、正しい農薬管理と食品衛生、安全で快適な労働環境、そして動物福祉への配慮だ。
こうした認証が根付いてない日本は、海外から理不尽にハードルの高いルールを押し
付けられていると考える向きがある。
しかし日本は少子高齢化、食の生産を支えてきた地域の消滅危機などの課題を抱えて
いる。今回の五輪を契機に、国際認証の目指す精神に共感しながら、より
持続的な農水産業を考えるべきだ。環境保全や食に対する国民の安全安心への担保のた
め、そして農水産業に携わる方々の健康や職業人としての矜持のためにも、単なる輸出
促進などの経済的な観点より、国際認証を取るための環境作りが必要だ。
もちろん、認証をとるためには煩雑な文書管理や費用負担がかさみ、高齢化がすすむ
零細農家へ負担を強いることになる。認証獲得にあたっては単に食の生産現場だけの問
題にするのではなく、広く国民全体の問題として受け止める必要がある。
コスト負担を含めて流通、加工、消費といった各レベルにおいて、主体的で国民的な
取り組みが必要となる。さらに高度な政策も不可欠だ。
そうした取り組みの一端を担うため、辻調理師専門学校も今年３月、内閣府の「クール
ジャパン拠点連携プロジェクト」の一環として、食産業におけるマニフェストの策定に
取り組んだ。マニフェストは「おいしく食べる喜びを１００年後の世代に手渡すために
」というスローガンを反映させた。自然共生型のフードシステムの再構築のため、食産
業にかかわる生産・流通・加工・製造・そして料理人、消費者、行政、教育機関、メデ
ィアによるパートナーシップを形成し、文理融合型の食の教育拠点の創出を提言した。
人類の夢の祭典でもある20年の東京五輪を契機に、若い世代が「食」を巡る諸課題に
当事者意識を持てるよう、関係機関とパートナーシップを築きながら、食分野の教育機
関としても活動を続けていきたい。
（筆者は辻調理師専門学校校長。本稿は２０１７年４月４日の毎日新聞朝刊「発言」欄
に掲載された）
期につながる国威発揚型のイベントだった。
選手村に登場した冷凍食品や世界の多様な食文化の吸収は、少なからず戦後日本の食
文化に良い教訓を与えた。五輪から万博へと続く国際的な催事を通して、日本人の食ス
タイルも大きく西欧化に傾いた。
そしていま、五輪をめぐる食の世界で、ある懸念がささやかれている。現状のままで
は選手村や会場で提供できる日本の食材が圧倒的に足りなくなるという問題だ。
２０１２年のロンドン五輪以降、環境や衛生管理に配慮した国際的に通用する「認証
」を受けた食材しか使えないというルールが登場した。だが、日本では、こうした国際
基準の「認証」制度の普及が著しく遅れているのが現状だ。
欧州では既に20世紀末、農業生産工程管理（ＧＡＰ）という認証制度が誕生し、定着
している。その認証の求めるところは、持続可能な農業を目指し、環境や生物多様性の
保全、正しい農薬管理と食品衛生、安全で快適な労働環境、そして動物福祉への配慮だ。
こうした認証が根付いてない日本は、海外から理不尽にハードルの高いルールを押し
付けられていると考える向きがある。
しかし日本は少子高齢化、食の生産を支えてきた地域の消滅危機などの課題を抱えて
いる。今回の五輪を契機に、国際認証の目指す精神に共感しながら、より
持続的な農水産業を考えるべきだ。環境保全や食に対する国民の安全安心への担保のた
め、そして農水産業に携わる方々の健康や職業人としての矜持のためにも、単なる輸出
促進などの経済的な観点より、国際認証を取るための環境作りが必要だ。
もちろん、認証をとるためには煩雑な文書管理や費用負担がかさみ、高齢化がすすむ
零細農家へ負担を強いることになる。認証獲得にあたっては単に食の生産現場だけの問
題にするのではなく、広く国民全体の問題として受け止める必要がある。
コスト負担を含めて流通、加工、消費といった各レベルにおいて、主体的で国民的な
取り組みが必要となる。さらに高度な政策も不可欠だ。
そうした取り組みの一端を担うため、辻調理師専門学校も今年３月、内閣府の「クール
ジャパン拠点連携プロジェクト」の一環として、食産業におけるマニフェストの策定に
取り組んだ。マニフェストは「おいしく食べる喜びを１００年後の世代に手渡すために
」というスローガンを反映させた。自然共生型のフードシステムの再構築のため、食産
業にかかわる生産・流通・加工・製造・そして料理人、消費者、行政、教育機関、メデ
ィアによるパートナーシップを形成し、文理融合型の食の教育拠点の創出を提言した。
人類の夢の祭典でもある20年の東京五輪を契機に、若い世代が「食」を巡る諸課題に
当事者意識を持てるよう、関係機関とパートナーシップを築きながら、食分野の教育機
関としても活動を続けていきたい。
（筆者は辻調理師専門学校校長。本稿は２０１７年４月４日の毎日新聞朝刊「発言」欄
に掲載された）
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟