Strengthening function as an international hub for providing strategic information on agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and mobilizing new research partnerships
From March 3 to 4, 2026, the 3rd International Workshop on Sustainable Management of Sugarcane White Leaf Disease was held at Khon Kaen University in Khon Kaen, Thailand.
This workshop was organized based on the contents of the “Healthy Seedcane Propagation and Distribution Manual Against Sugarcane White Leaf Disease,” which was jointly developed by JIRCAS, Khon Kaen University, and the Department of Agriculture of Thailand, and published in 2021 by the Office of the Cane and Sugar Board under Thailand’s Ministry of Industry.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has published a policy brief titled “Developing and promoting sustainable agricultural production and natural resources management technologies: Lessons from the FAO–JIRCAS collaboration” regarding its collaboration with the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS). This policy brief introduces recent research achievements by JIRCAS across its programs in environment, food, and information, and systematically summarizes the partnership with FAO.
Today marks the start of the 6th Medium to Long-Term Plan of JIRCAS. This new period begins in an international environment that is more complex and uncertain than ever before. The role of information gathering, analysis, and provision to grasp global changes and strategically respond to global food issues, including the Global South, is becoming increasingly important.
During the 5th Medium to Long-Term Plan of JIRCAS, from April 1, 2021 to the present, Pick-Up has provided multifaceted information on current and geopolitical issues affecting global food security, as well as the latest technologies and rules contributing to food system transformation, referencing international organization reports and the latest research papers. Looking back at the most accessed articles over the past five years, articles providing statistical information such as world population trends that will determine global food supply and demand in the medium to long term, and information on aquaculture technologies, attracted significant attention.
The revised edition of the Green Asia Report Series No. 4, "Local Biochar Use for Sustainable Agriculture in Asia," has been published. The report focuses on the growing interest in biochar, explaining recent research findings and providing technical information useful for practical applications.
According to a new World Bank report, current agricultural water management practices, with overuse in some countries and underuse in others, can only sustainably support food production for less than half of the world's population. With food needed for 10 billion people projected by 2050, restoring balance to water use in the global food system is essential for sustainably meeting future food demands.
A report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) highlighted the Earth's energy balance as a key climate indicator, pointing out that the balance is being disrupted due to greenhouse gas concentrations reaching their highest levels in at least 800,000 years.