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On April 16, 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of the Government of Japan opened a domestic public comment period on its revision of the safety regulations of feeds and feed additives produced with biotechnology.

The Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) of the Government of Japan (GOJ) convened a meeting of the “Food Sanitation Standards Council, Newly Developed Food Investigation Committee” on February 21, 2025, to discuss the establishment of food safety standards for cell cultured foods.

In October 2024, the Government of Japan (GOJ) added a genome edited potato to the list of genome edited products not subject to regulations for genetically engineered food and feed.

This report provides the latest status of consumption, regulation, public perception, research, development, production, government policy, and use of agricultural biotechnology in Japan. In general, Japan uses a science-based process for evaluating and granting approval for import and production of genetically engineered products.

The Government of Argentina (GOA) approved five new genetically engineered (GE) events in late 2023 and 2024, including one cotton, two soybean, and two corn events. In 2024, the first three applications were submitted for joint assessment by the agricultural regulatory agencies of Argentina and Brazil under the Cooperation Agreement on Biosafety of Modern Biotechnology Products, signed in 2022.

On September 19, 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of the Government of Japan (GOJ) announced the exemption of domestic field trial requirements for genetically engineered (GE) soybean with familiar trait.

On March 1, 2024, the Japan Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) launched a greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction labeling system for 23 domestically-produced agricultural products.

The Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) of Japan proposed three sets of revisions. First, to Japan’s maximum residue levels for 16 agricultural chemicals (Cyflumetofen, Flometoquin, Pyribencarb, Quinofumelin, Fenitrothion, Sulfachlorpyridazine...

On Monday, June 24, 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of the Government of Japan (GOJ) opened a public comment period for its revision for domestic field trial requirements of genetically engineered (GE) crops.

The Government of Argentina (GOA) approved five new genetically engineered (GE) events in 2023 (two soybean and three corn). Argentina and Brazil continue to be at the forefront of biotechnology and signed the Cooperation Agreement on Biosafety of Modern Biotechnology Products on October 20, 2022.

This report provides the latest status of consumption, regulation, public perception, research, development, production, and use of agricultural biotechnology in Japan. In general, Japan uses a science-based process for evaluating and granting approval for import and production of genetically engineered products.

On March 20, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW) and Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) added a waxy corn product to their lists of genome edited products not subject to regulations for genetically engineered food, feed, and biodiversity.