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Pick Up995. Is Global Warming Accelerating?
The Copernicus Climate Change Service, the European Union's meteorological information agency, announced that global temperatures reached a record high in March 2024, marking the 10th consecutive month of record-high monthly temperatures. -
Pick Up994. Atmospheric Concentrations of Anthropogenic Greenhouse Gases Continued Steady Rise in 2023
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that the atmospheric concentrations of anthropogenic greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) continued its upward trend in 2023, albeit not as fast as the abnormal rates of increase observed in recent years. -
Pick Up993: March 2024 World Food Price Index
On April 5, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) released the World Food Price Index for March 2024. It averaged 118.3 points, up 1.3 points (1.1%) from the previous month, and reflected the rise in vegetable oil prices. Although the increase reversed a seven-month downtrend that had continued through the previous month, it remained 9.9 points (7.7%) lower than the previous year. -
Pick Up992. The Impact of Climate Change on Wine Production
Climate change is affecting grape yields, grape composition, and wine quality. Here we summarize the review article by Professor Cornelis van Leeuwen (University of Bordeaux, France) and his colleagues, titled "Climate change impacts and adaptations of wine production". -
Pick Up991. Writing a “Prescription” for Poverty in the Rice Terraces of Madagascar
The work of development economists is sometimes compared to that of a doctor. This is because it is like writing a "prescription" for poverty reduction. Indeed, the process of listening to farmers (i.e., interviewing), conducting surveys (i.e., medical examination), and suggesting ways to improve their lives (i.e., writing prescriptions) may be similar to the work of a doctor. However, farmers do not come to us for consultation (=see the doctor). I would like to talk about the deeper reason why we go all the way to the field to listen to the farmers. -
Pick Up990. An Update to the Thai Local Vegetable Database
The Thai Local Vegetable Database, based on "JIRCAS International Agriculture Series No. 17: Thai Local Vegetables", was the result of a joint research by JIRCAS and initially published online in 2010. Here we present an updated version with enhanced functionality, more detailed information for local use, and improved search capability. -
Pick Up989. The Severity of the Food Waste Problem
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, one third of the world's population faces problems accessing nutritious food, while one billion servings of food are wasted. In addition to economic losses, food waste exacerbates climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution, and urgent actions are required to reduce it. -
Pick Up988. Blooming and Phenology of Cherry Blossoms in Japan
Phenology examines how the cycles that plants and animals create to survive are affected by seasonal and interannual climate changes, and studies related to the blooming period of cherry trees in Japan are considered to be one of the most reliable sources of information on the effects of long-term climate change. On the other hand, the higher temperatures from November to January this season have significantly delayed the dormancy break, making it more difficult to predict the blooming of cherry trees. Research on how plants and animals adapt to a changing climate is likely to become more complex. -
Pick Up987. Projected Increase in Extreme Events Due to Rising Temperatures
The year 2023 was the hottest year in recorded history. PNAS presents interactive maps of global climate model results analyzed at the downscale level, showing how extreme events are projected to occur in relation to the degree of temperature increase. The PNAS report presents the results of global climate modeling at a downscaled interactive map, showing the challenges facing human health, agricultural production, and other areas based on projections of the frequency of extreme events in relation to the degree of temperature increase.
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Pick Up986. The Need to Integrate Adaptation and Mitigation Measures in Response to Climate Change
The Nature Climate Change journal article introduced recently stressed the urgency of climate change adaptation measures, and today we present an article from the same journal that argues that climate change measures should integrate adaptation and mitigation measures.
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Pick Up985. The Urgency of Adapting to Climate Change for Future Food Security
The frequency of extreme weather events is increasing under climate change, raising uncertainty about the environment surrounding stable food production. An editorial published in Nature Climate Change stated that the impact of climate change on food production affects us all and emphasized the importance of securing research and research funding to minimize negative impacts and protect the most vulnerable segments of society.
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Pick Up984. Off the Charts Record of Climate Change in 2023
On March 19, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released its 2023 Climate White Paper, which shows that indicators such as greenhouse gas emissions, temperature, ocean heat, ocean acidification, sea level rise, Antarctic sea ice extent loss, and glacier retreat are “off the charts”, noting the socio-economic impacts of extreme weather events and the severity of the food security crisis for vulnerable social groups.
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Pick Up983. Unexpected Consequences of Land Use Change: From Grassland to Cropland
With animal-derived food production generally being noted for its significant environmental impact, questions arise about whether its transition truly leads to climate mitigation. Today, we will introduce a research paper that summarizes the general concepts of agricultural land use, the unexpected challenges that may arise from land use conversion, and the solutions, using the UK as a case study.
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Pick Up982. Water for Peace
March 22 is World Water Day, an international observance proposed at the 1992 Earth Summit (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The United Nations General Assembly designated the day in 1993. The theme for World Water Day 2024 is "Water for Peace".
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Pick Up981. Forests and Innovation: New Solutions for a Better World
March 21 is International Forest Day, a day designated by the United Nations to commemorate and raise awareness of forests and trees worldwide. The theme for 2024 is "Forests and Innovation: New Solutions for a Better World”.
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Pick Up980. Global Underweight and Obesity Trends
A study published in The Lancet analyzed trends in underweight and obesity among adults (20 years and older), school-aged children, and adolescents (5-19 years) in 200 countries and regions from 1990 to 2022. The study used body mass index (BMI) to classify underweight as a BMI below 18.5 kg/m² and overweight as a BMI above 30 kg/m² for adults. For school-aged children and adolescents, underweight was defined as a BMI less than twice the standard deviation and overweight as a BMI greater than 30 kg/m². Obesity was defined as a BMI greater than twice the standard deviation.
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Pick Up979. UNDP Human Development Report 2023-2024
On March 13, the United Nations Development Program released its 2023-2024 Human Development Report, titled "Breaking the Gridlock: Reimagining Cooperation in a Polarized World." The report sounded an alarm about the perilous state of uneven development, rising inequality, and deepening political divides, while expressing optimism about the potential of multilateralism to foster global interdependence.
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Pick Up978. Economic Impact of CGIAR Crop Improvement Technologies
The CGIAR is an international organization established in 1971 to improve productivity and technology development in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries in developing countries, and has been a leader in innovation in the field of international agricultural research. A paper published in World Development found that the adoption of crop technologies developed by the CGIAR had a significant impact on poverty reduction in low-income countries, with annual economic benefits worth $47 billion.
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Pick Up977. Disruption to the Red Sea-Panama Canal Supply Chain
Using data from the PortWatch platform, which uses satellite data and big data analytics to identify and predict the impact of extreme weather events on trade, the IMF blog shows that the number of vessels in the Red Sea and Panama Canal, two key shipping lanes for global trade, has declined significantly.
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Pick Up976. Global Temperatures in February 2024
The Copernicus Climate Change Service, the European Union's weather information agency, announced that global temperatures in February 2024 were the highest on record, and sea surface temperatures were also the hottest on record.