Petitions to Protect Animal Welfare for the Tokyo Olympics Submitted to Cabinet Secretariat

We’ve been campaigning to change animal welfare for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics that is currently under threat.

Mr. Katsuya Ogawa of the House of Councilors and the Animal Rights Center submitted 11,132 petitions from 36 domestic and international groups regarding the animal welfare for livestock animals to the Headquarters for the Promotion of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

They stated that the events’ procurement code is actually owned by the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games so the headquarters is not involved.
It was also pointed out there is a limitation for cost that is allocated for food, so the committee may not be able to afford it.

That said, the secretariat understands animal welfare issues very well.
Also, he knows that athletes prefer red meat, as well as the importance of vegetarian diet.

It’s clear that it was the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries that led JGAP to set standards, which were applied to create the Animal Welfare-oriented Livestock Management Standards. JGAP is paid by the government.
Also the standards were taken into account for the procurement code.

So there’s no excuse to say it’s the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games that is only held accountable.

Mr. Ogawa pointed out that the government is leading JGAP, but it’s problematic that a gap still exists between Japan and overseas in terms of animal welfare issues.
It’ll be disadvantageous for Japan to have this fact revealed.
It’s important to have both organic and animal welfare aspects.
We should even pursue to provide organic feed for the livestock as well.
It will be our fourth time to open Japan globally.
We should do our best even if we are not able to achieve everything.

Yes, even if we are not able to achieve everything, we should at least make an effort to change the battery cages for birds and gestation crates for mother sows that have vanished worldwide.

For instance, we can set a goal to say 50% will be cage-free and gestation crate free.
The current procurement code has an empty animal welfare aspect that does not suggest any specific standards or guidelines.
To improve abusive care methods for animals in agriculture will not only be for people who wish to protect animals, but also for people who are in the industry.
The government should stop saying, “cannot do” and “there is shortage in supply for food” but rather set specific goals and milestones.

We are still accepting petitions:
http://www.arcj.org/tokyoolympiccruelty/

Please send your voice as well;

Deliver your voice to your local members of the diet.
Send your opinions to the Headquarters for the Promotion of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The address is Cabinet Office Nagata-cho 1-6-1, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. TEL: 03-5253-2111.
Send your opinions to the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. TEL: 0570-09-2020 (not free) (Business hours on weekdays: 9:00 – 17:00)
Send your opinions to your National Olympic Committee .
https://www.olympic.org/national-olympic-committees