Japan, Don't Dump Contaminated Food on Developing Countries.
- by: Concerned Citizens
- recipient: Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Yukio Edano
The Japanese government has announced plans to dump $65 million of potentially contaminated food products in developing countries.
Since the partial meltdown of the Fukushima Nuclear Plant in March, The New York Times reports that unsafe levels of radiation "were detected in tea, milk, fish, beef and other foods...as far as 200 miles from the plant."
It seems that radiation is only a danger for rich consumers. For impoverished nations, contaminated produce qualifies as 'aid.'
While claiming that it will test such produce for radiation, the government has raised the maximum radiation levels for milk, water, and other drinks to ten times the limit set by the WHO.
Tell Japan that contaminated food must not be dumped in developing countries!
We the undersigned ask you to reverse your plans to dump potentially contaminated foodstuffs in developing countries. While we understand that these products will be tested for unsafe radiation levels, the definition of "safe" radiation is currently an arbitrary figure set by your government, and is many times higher than that of the WHO.
The Japanese people have not accepted these levels; nor should the nations of the global south. International aid programs are intended to address global inequality, not help wealthy countries rid themselves of unsellable produce.
Please reverse this decision immediately. We thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
