Information Analysis
740. International Day of Forests 2023 ーForests and Health
739. Cereal Supply and Demand and Ukraine's Production and Export Trends
738. The Future of International Cooperation on Food and Fertilizer Exports from the Black Sea Region
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, uncertainty surrounding the stagnation of food and fertilizer exports from the two major food exporting countries has caused food prices to soar in the first half of this year, affecting global food security. An agreement guaranteeing exports of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea was signed last July and extended in November, but as the deadline, March 18, looms, officials are reportedly negotiating an extension with Russia.
737. Measures Against Extreme Weather Disasters~Leave No One Behind~
736. Rising Cases of Diabetes and Obesity Worldwide
735. Human Society’s Response to Climate Change and the Fate of Biodiversity
734. Together for Our Food and Planetary Health — PR Video of the JIRCAS Fifth Medium to Long-Term Plan
On March 9, 2023, we released a PR video of the JIRCAS Fifth Medium to Long-Term Plan (FY2021-2025). It consists of four parts —Promotion Video, Environment, Food, and Information, with the aim of introducing the role, research results, activities, significance of international joint research projects, and prospects of JIRCAS to people in Japan and abroad in an easy-to-understand manner. In this PickUp, we introduce the points that the staff in charge of the project kept in mind when planning and producing the PR videos.
733. March 9, 2023 is Millet Day on Millet Year
March 9 is “Millet Day”. The date matches the Japanese words "za" (3) and “koku (9)” which refer to millet. It was established by the Japan Millet Association, which was certified and registered by the Japan Anniversary Association. Also, since 2023 is the International Year of Millets (IYM2023), March 9, 2023 is Millet Day on Millet Year. Today’s Pick up introduces a study on pearl millet.
732. Global Indicators on the Costs of Healthy Diets
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Statistical Data Hub (FAOSTAT) has published an indicator on the costs of healthy diets and the populations that do not have access to them. Latin America and the Caribbean have the highest costs of healthy diets compared to other regions.
731. Food Systems and Syndemic
Three years have passed since WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic. During this time, cost-push food inflation has continued around the world, while extreme weather events, plant pests, spread of livestock diseases, and other unusual events have caused shocks to food production. Uncertainty surrounding the food system has increased as extreme events affecting food security have become more frequent. The food system is distorted with 700-800 million of the world's 8 billion people facing hunger and 3 billion overweight and obese, which is a major factor in exceeding the planetary boundary. In other words, humanity is facing a "syndemic" of obesity, undernutrition, and climate change.
730. February 2023 World Food Price Index
729. Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2022
728. IWMI Report: Change in Global Freshwater Storage
It is said that two-thirds of the Earth's surface is covered with water, or about 1.4 billion cubic kilometers of water. However, the only water we can use is freshwater, excluding seawater, which accounts for only about 2.5% of the water on the earth. Furthermore, excluding glaciers and groundwater, only 0.01% of freshwater (rivers, lakes, marshes, etc.) is in a state that is easily accessible to humans. Today, we would like to introduce a report of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) on the change in global freshwater storage.
727. FAO Report: Global Assessment of Soil Carbon in Grasslands
Soil is the second largest carbon sink after the oceans, with grasslands containing about 20% of the world's soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and playing an important role in global climate change, according to a recently published report by FAO.
726. What is the Good Relationship Between Fruits, People and the Earth? ~Tropics and Subtropics are Treasure Troves of Fruits~
725. Investigating the Blessings of Tropical Rainforest at the Top of Trees 〜Photosynthesis at 50 Meters Above Ground〜
What kind of forest comes to mind when you hear the word "tropical rainforest"? Tropical rainforests are a treasure trove of living organisms that have not only provided mankind with a variety of benefits, but also help mitigate global warming by storing carbon dioxide. Today's article introduces research to understand and protect the power of tropical rainforests from the perspective of a young JIRCAS researcher, who is active in the field of tropical rainforest.
724. One Year Since Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
One year has passed since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and the uncertainty surrounding global food security has increased dramatically. Global food security requires coordinated international efforts to avoid supply chain disruptions caused by geopolitical factors, and technical assistance in regions where food crop productivity is stagnant is of critical importance.
723. Climate Change Risk to the Built Environment
722. Wilder PL Bags 2023 Japan Prize of Agricultural Science / Yomiuri Prize of Agricultural Science
Dr. Marcy N. WILDER, Project Leader of the Fisheries Division, has been selected by the Association of Japanese Agricultural Scientific Societies to receive the 2023 Japan Prize of Agricultural Science / Yomiuri Prize of Agricultural Science. The award is recognized as the highest honor given to agricultural science researchers in Japan.
721. Quinoa Day ~JIRCAS Contribution in Quinoa Research~
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization launched the International Year of Quinoa at an opening ceremony held on February 20, 2013, and on the same day in 2016, the Japan Quinoa Association was established. In 2017, February 20 was recognized and registered by the Japan Anniversary Association as “Quinoa Day”. Today's Pick Up features quinoa.