1360. Collaboration to Accelerate Food System Transformation

October 16th is World Food Day.

Food systems face unprecedented challenges. Conflict, extreme weather and climate change impacts, economic shocks, and growing inequality are putting increasing pressure on arable land, water, and life-supporting biodiversity. Supply chains remain fragile, and disruptions are affecting households, markets, and farmland around the world. The severity of food insecurity is unfathomable in some regions. An estimated 673 million people suffer from hunger. Furthermore, rising obesity and widespread food waste reflect the contradictions in a system where abundance and scarcity are two sides of the same coin.

Food systems are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, but they also have the potential to reduce these emissions through the way food is produced, grown, harvested, and distributed. Meeting the needs of a growing global population requires teamwork across borders, sectors, and generations.

At the JIRCAS International Symposium on October 27, keynote speakers from the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, ASEAN Secretariat, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, along with internationally renowned scientists in food systems research, will discuss how to collaborate to accelerate food system transformation. The panel session participant list has been updated on the special website. If you are attending in person, there will also be an opportunity for a Q&A session with the panelists, so we encourage you to participate.

JIRCAS International Symposium 2025
Accelerating Application of Agricultural Technologies in the Asia-Monsoon Region: Taking Stock and the Way Forward for Enhancing Production Potentials and Sustainable Food Systems
Date: 2025-10-27(Mon) 13:30～17:30 (13:00 Admission) (JST)
Place: "Hitotsubashi Hall" and On-line 
Event Site: https://www.jircas.go.jp/en/symposium/2025/e20251027_jircas

Panelists （TBC）
Chair: Dr. IIYAMA Miyuki, Information Program, JIRCAS
Dr. Shenggen Fan, China Agricultural University
    Prof. Joachim von Braun, Bonn University (online participation) 
Dr. Jacqueline Hughes, World Agriculture Forum (online participation)
Dr. Jean Balié, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (video message)
Dr. SAITO Kazuki, IRRI-Japan collaboration
Dr. HAYASHI Keiichi, Environmental Program, JIRCAS 
Dr. Stefanos Fotiou, UN Food Systems Coordination Hub
Dr. Pham Quang Minh, ASEAN Secretariat
(TBC) MAFF