Meeting with Japan Vice-Minister of the Environment
Interview with the Japan Vice-Minister of the Environment on 28th October 2020
Tokyo Vegan organizers joined representatives of Meat Free Monday All Japan and The Japan Vegan Society at a meeting with Vice-Minister of the Environment Sakai in October 2020.
Each group asked two official questions (official report below). We also discussed a wide range of related issues, and were able to convey to the minister the present struggles (such as lack of options / social acceptance) faced by those in Japan seeking to adopt vegan or other plant-based diets, whether out of concern for the environment or other related issues.
Our biggest take-away from the meeting is that, at present, there appear to be no groups or organizations lobbying the government, or presenting information to lawmakers on why plant-based policies are necessary to protect the planet and public health.
Official meeting report by Meat Free Monday All Japan (MFMAJ). English translation: Tokyo Vegan
MFMAJ: It’s been a while. Thank you so much again for your great support at the Ministry of the Environment’s Good Life Award Ceremony. We also thank you and appreciate your taking time out of your busy schedule today. As General Manager in the Ministry of Environment you showed understanding toward vegetarianism and veganism, and all of us in the vegetarian/vegan movement look forward with great expectations now that you have become Vice Minister. Just two days ago Prime Minister Suga announced the government’s ’2050 Carbon Neutrality’ pledge. Would you explain to us the background to this declaration and give your frank opinion on it?
Vice-minister Nakai: We can say the stage has totally shifted. In the framework of the Paris Agreement, the Japanese government had until now been addressing the target of ‘80% Reduction by 2050’ while it was my personal opinion that the government should have made a full commitment to ‘carbon neutrality by 2050’. Under the strong initiative of Minister Koizumi, ministry officials including me and Director Nakajima (Research Study Office for Decarbonization Innovation環境省脱炭素化イノベーション研究調査室), who is with us today for this interview, have been meeting with governors and mayors from all over the country to promote the ‘Zero-Carbon City Declaration’ movement, with the belief that this movement originated by local governments needs to be expanded and enhanced. Following Yokohama City, the first to have made such a declaration, many local governments have successively made their own declarations. Ahead of our initial projections, the total population of those municipalities already exceeded half the total Japanese population in the spring of this year.
Since the Ministry of Environment has no jurisdiction over industry, we have been considering the future of society and the economy by listening to voices on the demand side of purchasing and marketing, while pursuing dialog with individual local governments to expand the ‘Zero Carbon City’ movement. There are also overseas developments, such as China’s “2060 Zero Carbon Declaration”, which were important in the domestic and international background.
In any case, the ministry welcomes it, and I feel glad personally. On the other hand, now that it has been declared, we will have to think seriously about how to achieve the goal. Amid concern about whether such a goal can really be achieved in the next thirty years, I am eager to pursue discussions with people from all sectors of society and the economy, including yourselves, since every issue must be given thorough consideration.
MFMAJ: The declaration of Carbon Neutrality by 2050, so soon after your appointment as Vice Ministry, seems almost like destiny, so I look forward with great expectation to your efforts in the future.
I have a feeling that the ministry has been gradually exploring ‘the relationship between vegetarianism/veganism and the environment’ since last year and throughout this year. For example: (1) giving MFMAJ’s ‘Veggie-Aid Project’ （「ベジエイドプロジェクト」）a special recognition award in the Good Life Awards from the Ministry of the Environment; (2) giving Specified Nonprofit Corporation Ikeda Eco-Staff（「NPO法人いけだエコスタッフ」）which runs ‘3R Kitchen Vegan’（「3RキッチンVegan」）the Environment Minister’s Award; (3) The food carbon footprint was mentioned for the first time in the 2020 (fiscal year Reiwa 2) Annual Report on the Environment in Japan. Could you explain the background and purposes of these?
Nakai: While food is essential to our healthy living, there is the possibility of environmental impact in the lifecycle of food from its production through processing to disposal, including carbon dioxide emissions, impacts from the use of agricultural chemicals and chemical fertilizers, and forestry development for conversion to farmland. Especially in relation to greenhouse gases, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) issued a Special Report on Land Development in August 2019 that pointed out the global importance of land use to climate change countermeasures. Among other things, this report indicated that how humans use land has a major impact on climate change, that agriculture, forestry and other types of land use account for around 23% of anthropogenic emission, and that emissions from the worldwide food system, including the production, processing and distribution of food, accounts for 21 – 37%.
Furthermore, according to the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), the carbon footprint associated with Japanese nutrition is estimated as 1400kgCO2e/year, with the highest carbon footprints being in meat, cereals and dairy products in descending order. Especially meat, compared to the small amount of it consumed, generates greenhouse gas whose output level is as high as a quarter of total emissions. This is due to the CH4 generation from farm animals’ digestive organs, in addition to the CO2 emissions caused by production and transport of feed crops.
Based on these reports, there is a need to deepen our concern and understanding of the relation between nutrition and climate change in Japan too. That is why the carbon footprint of food was mentioned in the environmental white paper.
MFMAJ: This is the first time that an explanation of the ‘food carbon footprint’ was included in the white paper. Was there any specific reason or background for this?
Nakai: In order to change society, the key is innovation in people’s lifestyle. Of the three aspects of lifestyle – food, clothing and shelter – food is of course a major part which cannot be ignored. In the ICPP Land Use Report, the relationship between ‘food and climate change’ was also discussed, so such international trends were there as a part of the background.
MFMAJ: Thank you very much. Let me ask you the next question. Now all over the world, mainly in the West, there is discussion of a ‘Green Recovery’ for Post-Corona society. In this context, in July this year, our organization, MFMAJ and Greenpeace Japan, with the endorsement of many organizations, corporations and retail stores, jointly submitted a ‘Request for Green Recovery through Food’ (「食を通じてのグリーンリカバリー要望書」) to Veggie Giren (ベジ議連), Vege Council. In short, this petition requests the “Japanese government to actively take more green recovery policies and measures, including measures to promote more environmentally friendly vegetarian and vegan diets and reduced meat consumption as pointed out in numerous UN reports, in addition to using renewable energy and reducing the use of plastic”.
While it will take a long time to achieve renewable energy development and plastic reduction, adopting a vegetarian/vegan diet into our everyday meals can be done immediately. While it is said that nutrition accounts for 20 – 30% of personal CO2 emissions and the UN has been pointing out the environmental impact of animal husbandry for over 10 years, to be honest, we have the impression that the Ministry of the Environment has not taken any effective and active measures for promoting vegetarian or vegan diets.
MFMAJ: Will you give us your opinion on this subject and also on how you will promote the ‘Green Recovery` in Japan.
Nakai: In the era of with/post corona, the ministry believes we should not try to go back and recover the pre-corona economic system but should transform the socio-economic system to make it sustainable and resilient, and to achieve SDGs, which requires measures and actions to ’Redesign’ the socio-economic system to be sustainable and resilient through ‘the three Transitions’ that are ‘Transition to a Decarbonized Society’, ‘Transition to a Circular Economy (Junkan Keizai in Japanese)’ and ‘Transition to a Decentralized Society’. Effective measures for Redesign include reducing environmental impacts such as greenhouse gas by improvements in the field of food and revitalizing local areas by local production for local consumption.
MFMAJ: You explained that “reducing greenhouse gas in the field of food is effective for reducing the environmental impact” by using the word ‘Redesign’ instead of Green Recovery. Whatever words you use, do you have any plan and idea to adopt vegetarian/vegan diets as a part of environmental administration?
There are many actions that can be taken, such as adopting vegetarian/vegan food in government procurements including catering services and prizes, subsidies for businesses providing vegetarian/vegan food to customers in addition to general food, adding vegetarian/vegan diet items to the definition of ‘Green Businesses’ (「グリーン事業」), establishing a ‘Green Fund’ or ’Green Bond’ including vegetarian/vegan diet elements, adopting vegetarian/vegan menus at staff cafeterias, establishing a council consisting of the ministry and veggie organizations, holding events and exhibitions, and promoting ‘New Green Tourism’ including vegetarian/vegan diet elements, to name only a few. What do you think about such ideas?
Nakai: I believe actions for reducing greenhouse gas in the field of food will become more important in the future, and clarification of the food carbon footprint in the 2020 Annual Report has made some contribution to raising awareness of food and the environment. I hear that IGES has been involved in building future scenarios reflecting citizens’ opinions as well as providing citizens chances to consider lifestyles for a world of 1.5℃ through participatory workshops held in cooperation with local governments, while providing information on carbon footprints including the food carbon footprint, using 1.5℃ lifestyle reports.
As for your proposals, in addition to your activities we can support holding discussion sessions between organizations/corporations and the ministry from the perspective of food and environment including organic agriculture as a lifestyle aligned with nature, and Japanese traditional fermented foods and fermentation culture.
As for adopting vegetarian/vegan menus at staff cafeterias, since our ministry shares the same building with the Ministry of Health and Labour, there will need to be consultation with the Ministry of Health and Labour. I’m hoping to discuss introducing vegetarian/vegan menus with the Vice-Minister of Health and Labour, when I have the chance.
In any case, the ministry will consider and keep working on actions we can take, listening to your opinions and collaborating with your activities.
MFMAJ: Thank you very much, and we are glad to hear your positive words. We will start making arrangements right away to set up a government-people discussion forum on food, and look so much forward to the early introduction of vegetarian/vegan menus at staff cafeterias as well.
We would really appreciate your continuing consideration of other items. Specifically, vegetarian/vegan menus by catering services at official events and social gathering could be arranged easily and done at once, I believe. In terms of ‘New Green Tourism’, it should be an inclusive programme where all the fun activities of travelling – such as staying at eco-friendly accommodations, eating eco-friendly meals including vegan food, using eco-friendly means of transportation, field trips to eco-friendly business activities and buying eco-friendly souvenirs – will lead to environmental protection and reduction of the carbon footprint, in addition to the activities for experiencing and learning from nature, which existing green tourism has provided. This will enliven the businesses of manufacturers and producers in each place and will lead to regional revitalization as well. It will also induce inbound tourism from more eco-conscious countries around the world. Please give strong consideration to the realization of this what-we-can-call ‘New Green Tourism’, in collaboration with the Japan Tourism Agency.
Nakai: Well, yes, and that may be even better if it can give the impression that it’s good for your health as well as for the environment. In any case, the ministry will take all measures relating to food, clothing and shelter.
Japan Vegan Society: My name is Muroya (室谷) from Japan Vegan Society. Thank you so much for sparing your precious time despite your busy schedule. We founded the Society to create an environment for veganism in Japan. As an issuing organization of vegan certificates, our activities include offering information on a search app for vegan restaurants in Japan, information provision, product development, restaurant menu supervision, and running communities. Today, I’d like to ask several questions.
My first question is – one of the goals Japan Vegan Society has set is to have schools offer a choice of a Vegetarian/Vegan menu for school lunch. As we know, by increasing vegetarian/vegan diet consumption or decreasing meat consumption we can protect the environment and it is a countermeasure against climate change. Do you think an approach through school education would be possible, and if yes, how could the Ministry of the Environment make such an approach in the field of school education?
Nakai: The Ministry of the Environment is promoting Environmental Education for children in terms of ESD (Education for Sustainable Development). In environmental education, we emphasize the cycle of ‘Insights’ from real experiences, deeper ‘Understanding’ developed by researching by oneself and giving presentations, and ‘Putting Knowledge into Action’ starting from what one can do by oneself. We are considering how we can communicate information on Food and Environment in this context.
Japan Vegan Society: Thank you very much. We hope you will consider it positively. The next question is about how the Ministry of the Environment will respond to the ‘protein crisis’ which is expected to come in future. In the West, the stock price of Beyond Meat (plant-based protein), which Bill Gates joined as a co-founder, increased sevenfold and products such as Impossible Burger have also become very popular. The background to these is a rising consumer awareness of SDGs, and we are witnessing a growing vegan population.
(Note: Bill Gates is an investor in Beyond Meat, not a co-founder.)
Nakai: Though government measures for nutrition are not in our ministry’s scope of jurisdiction and administration, the vitalization of regional agriculture including promotion of soy products and Japanese traditional fermented foods, such as miso and fermentation culture, and providing people food with necessary nutrition are important as a measure for Regional CES, and we will be supporting actions for Regional CES.
Japan Vegan Society: ‘Environment and Society’ are key words in the ‘Good Life Award’ implemented by the ministry of the Environment. We, Japan Vegan Society, are happy that ‘Cohabitation with Animals’ is also highly appreciated as seen in Animal Pathway Research Society’s (『アニマルパスウェイ研究会』) winning the Outstanding Performance Award in the Environment Minister’s Awards at the Good Life Award in 2015. Additionally, in 2020 Horizon Farms promised consumers that they would not lock mother pigs into ‘gestation crates’, which prevent them from moving. Also in 2020, AEON started selling a private brand’s cage-free eggs (free-range eggs). What is the Ministry of the Environment’s opinion on improving the environment of industrial livestock production?
Nakai: The Ministry of the Environment is responsible for the administration of animal welfare and management, and has established a “Basic Rule for Keeping and Managing Farm Animals” (「産業動物の飼養及び保管に関する基準」) based on the Act on Welfare and Management of Animals (動物愛護管理法), stipulating that Farmers must make best efforts to maintain the comfort of animals in accordance with the types and habits of the animals concerned. We will be cooperating with related ministries, based on the provisions in the 2020 Revision of the Act on Welfare and Management of Animals (令和元年の改正動物愛護管理法), which stipulates strengthening the cooperation between Livestock Industry Local Branch Offices (畜産部局) and Public Health Local Branch Offices (公衆衛生部局) in local governments.
Tokyo Vegan: Thank for your time today. We are co-organizers of Tokyo Vegan, a group with over 8,000 members, both vegans and people interested in veganism from inside and outside Japan. Our aim is to grow the vegan communities in Japan and to build bridges between them and the global vegan movements. We would like to ask two questions today.
First, Japan ranks number 17 in the SDG Global Ranking, and climate change is one of the issues of particular concern. Would you give us your opinions on why the Japanese government’s actions for climate change fall behind those of many other countries? The UN, Oxford University and others have pointed out in their reports that a vegetarian/vegan diet is one of the most effective countermeasures against climate change, but this has not been widely acknowledged in Japan yet. Why do you think that is so?
Nakai: As mentioned at the beginning of the interview, Prime Minister Suga declared the goal of achieving carbon neutrality in 2050 and realization of a decarbonized society in his general-policy speech the other day. As for recent achievements, Japan has reduced greenhouse gas emissions successively for five years since 2014, achieving a 12 % reduction compared to 2013.
When we see the reduction rate of greenhouse gas in developed countries, setting the value in 2013 as the standard, Japan is the second-best country with the highest reduction rate, next to the UK, so I don’t think Japan’s countermeasures fall behind other countries.
As for the lower level of acknowledgement for vegetarian/vegan diets in Japan, we have published information relating to the nutritional carbon footprint mentioned in the IGES 1.5℃ Life Style Report and indicated the efficacy of choosing low carbon lifestyles, including vegetarianism/veganism in reducing the carbon footprint in our 2020 white paper.
Tokyo Vegan: Thank you very much. We really appreciate your efforts and actions so far. Recently we compiled a report on plant-based initiatives in countries around the world, where we wrote about the expansion of the vegan market and the factors driving it. The report was delivered to Jin Matsubara, a member of the House of Representatives and Director-General of the Vege Council Japan. We really hope that Japan will also join the global trend of investment and promotion of plant-based foods as one of the countermeasures against climate change.
I would like to move on to the next question. Has any group besides ourselves, including citizens’ groups, scientists or medical practitioners, made any requests and/or proposals to the government regarding the impact of industrial livestock farming on the environment?
Nakai: As far as I have confirmed, no organization has made any requests and/or proposals about the impacts that industrial livestock production has on the environment.
Tokyo Vegan: Thank you very much. In terms of the difference from other countries, that is very helpful information and has made us feel that further consideration is required.
