With the launching of the Sustainable Food Systems Strategy “MeaDRI” in May 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) is promoting the application of agricultural technologies which enhance production potentials and ensure sustainable food systems. From FY2022, MAFF has initiated the project “Accelerating application of agricultural technologies which enhance production potentials and ensure sustainable food systems in the Asia-Monsoon region”, which is now being implementing at JIRCAS under the name of the "Green Asia” project.
 
The first meeting of the advisory board⁽¹⁾ was held in Tokyo (hybrid) on October 25, 2022, where the background and outline of the project were explained, and the advisory board members gave their expert opinions on the approach to the project.

he second meeting was held online on March 16, 2023. The opening remarks were given by Pres. Koyama of JIRCAS and Mr. Nakazawa, Deputy Director-General of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research Council Secretariat. Then, the project secretariat (JIRCAS) reported on the progress of collaboration with international organizations and countries in the Asia-Monsoon region, update on preparation of a catalog of applicable agricultural technologies for the Asia-Monsoon region, and the progress of applied research on alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation technology and wheat with enhanced biological nitrification inhibition (BNI). In response, the advisory board members gave expert advice and comments on the direction of future activities. Some of the comments are as follows:

• The creation of technology catalog, which is easy to understand, is indeed remarkable, and the target areas should be increased in the future.
• The activities should be included in the follow-up process of the UN Food Systems Summit.
• The AWD technology, although widely used in Japan, is not popular overseas, and a dissemination method based on Japan's experience should be implemented.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific participated in the second meeting as an observer.

Reports and other products, such as the technology catalog discussed in this meeting has been completed taking into consideration the expert advice and suggestions from the advisory board members, and is now available on the website of the International Center for Strategy MeaDRI⁽²⁾.

^（１）https://www.jircas.go.jp/en/program/proc/blog/20221101　
^（２）https://www.jircas.go.jp/en/greenasia　

Contributors: FUNAKI Yasuro and KOBAYASHI Shintaro (Social Sciences Division), KANAMORI Norihito (Information and Public Relations Office), IIYAMA Miyuki (Information Program)