According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the global average temperature in March 2026 ranked as the fourth highest on record, reaching 1.48°C above pre-industrial levels. This highlights the continued warming trend in recent years and suggests that the pressure on the climate system is becoming increasingly intense.

The timing and duration of summer weather conditions in the midlatitudes are highly significant because they are closely linked to extreme weather events, the phenology of plants and animals, economic activity, ecosystem and human health, droughts and wildfires, as well as energy demand. A recent study published in Environmental Research Letters shows that, relative to the 1961–1990 baseline, summers in the midlatitudes are becoming longer and hotter, and seasonal transitions are occurring more abruptly.

The realization of sustainable food systems is influenced not only by technology and policy but also by socio-economic conditions that vary across regions. A study published in Nature Food systematically reviewed over 1,700 related articles and selected 349 for detailed analysis, examining the role of socio-economic factors in shaping food systems transformations across different regional contexts. The study highlights that income, education, and institutional frameworks significantly influence the behaviors of both producers and consumers, and that distinct regional patterns exist.

In recent years, as global warming leads to glacial retreat and reduced snow cover, the importance of precipitation has increased significantly. However, the origins of the "water towers" in the high-altitude regions that support our water resources have not been fully understood. A study published in Geophysical Research Letters revealed that water resources in high-altitude areas are closely related not only to topography and precipitation, but also to atmospheric water cycles and land cover. It suggests that integratively considering these factors is essential for assessing the sustainability of water resources.

"A serious climate crisis will occur when global warming reaches 3°C or 4°C"—this understanding has been widely shared until now. However, according to a recent study published in Nature, even a warming of just 2°C can have serious impacts on society and ecosystems, and the risk is particularly high in important sectors such as agriculture, cities, and forests.

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.

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.

The N2026 Organizing Committee is pleased to announce that Early-bird Registration and the Call for Abstracts for the 10th International Nitrogen Conference (N2026), to be held in Kyoto, Japan, from November 2–6, 2026, are now open.

Since last week, cherry blossoms have begun to bloom in various parts of Japan. While flowering signals the arrival of spring, it is actually controlled by intricate physiological mechanisms. This article introduces research on the mechanism of flowering based on genetics and physiology, based on a review paper recently published in the journal Plant Physiology.