On December 20, 2024 (Friday), six students from the Department of International Agricultural Development at Tokyo University of Agriculture visited JIRCAS as part of their seminar activities with the Rural Development Cooperation Research Laboratory. The visit began with an introduction to the research activities of JIRCAS, followed by lectures from several researchers and a tour of the facilities.
The word "knowledge" is associated with what we learn in school classes, but apart from such knowledge, farmers' experiential knowledge, which they acquire through their daily experiences, is called "farmer knowledge." To date, many technologies that are supposed to make sustainable agriculture possible have been disseminated in Africa, but there is a problem that farmers do not use them or stop using them soon after they are used. One possible solution to this problem is to understand "farmer knowledge. If we researchers can understand what farmers value and what they consider difficult in their daily farm work, and how they understand the characteristics of the soil and crops, we believe it will be possible to develop technologies that meet farmers' wishes and disseminate technologies in a way that is easily accepted by farmers.
JIRCAS is pleased to announce the joint symposium with the Embassy of Bolivia in Japan, titled "The Bolivia Symposium—The Charms of Salar de Uyuni, Quinoa, and Llamas", to be held on Monday, May 20, 2024, at the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) Tokyo Headquarters Annex.
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.
The JIRCAS research on the “Development of resilient crops and production technologies” is also linked to the “Research on production of crops adapted to the space environment”.
Tomorrow is Soybean Day, a celebration deeply rooted in the Japanese tradition of “setsubun”, which is observed as the day before the arrival of spring. In commemoration of Soybean Day, today's feature highlights the importance of soybeans in Japan and around the world. The spotlight extends to ongoing soybean research at JIRCAS, offering insights into the crop's status and impact.