Information Analysis
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740. International Day of Forests 2023 ーForests and Health
Tomorrow, March 21st, is the International Day of Forests. The theme for 2023 is “Forests and health”. Forests are not only important sources of food and nutrition, but also play a major role in the fight against climate change. However, forests are threatened by destruction and degradation caused by human economic activities and need support for conservation and protection. A team from JIRCAS is implementing the SATREPS project "Strengthening Tropical Forest Resilience Based on Management and Utilization of Genetic Resources Capable of Climate Change Adaptation” in Indonesia for sustainable use and conservation of tropical forest resources.
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739. Cereal Supply and Demand and Ukraine's Production and Export Trends
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) releases a monthly food security report on the supply, demand, and market prices of agricultural products based on published data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and reports from various countries. The main contents of the February issue are as follows: (1) Harvest in the northern hemisphere ended in February. (2) Global wheat production exceeded the previous year's level due to bumper wheat crops in Australia and Russia. (3) International wheat prices returned to pre-Russian invasion levels. (4) For corn, world production was lower than the previous year due to dry conditions in the US, Europe and Argentina. (5) For soybeans, production will decrease in the US and Argentina, but increase in Brazil.
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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.
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737. Measures Against Extreme Weather Disasters～Leave No One Behind～
Climate change is increasing the frequency and magnitude of extreme events, with a profound impact on local economies, people's livelihoods, and the natural environment. An article in Nature pointed out that flash floods are more likely to occur in arid regions because the drier the soil, the more it repels water, and people tend to live in flood plains unprepared for flash floods.
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736. Rising Cases of Diabetes and Obesity Worldwide
A study recently published in Cell Metabolism reveals that cases of type 2 diabetes and obesity are on the rise worldwide and are increasing rapidly, especially among poorer social groups. The study further noted that while healthy life years lost due to obesity are decreasing in high-income countries, they are increasing rapidly in low- and middle-income countries, and there is no doubt that disparities in health care, healthy eating, and moderate exercise are exacerbating the metabolic-related burden.
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735. Human Society’s Response to Climate Change and the Fate of Biodiversity
Climate change affects food security and access to natural resources, causing reactions from human society. A PNAS journal article published in February discussed the importance of understanding the impact of climate change on biodiversity through its impact on human society.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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730. February 2023 World Food Price Index
On March 3, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released its World Food Price Index, which averaged 129.8 points in February 2023, marking the 11th consecutive monthly decline, albeit only 0.6%, from the previous month and 29.9 points (18.7%) below the high reached in March 2022. The February decline reflected lower prices for vegetable oils, dairy products, and partial grains and meats, which offset a sharp rise in the sugar price index.
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729. Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2022
On March 2, the International Energy Agency (IEA) released its report on energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, announcing that global carbon dioxide emissions in 2022 increased 0.9% from the previous year, reaching an all-time high. On the other hand, the report noted that the impact of increased fossil fuel use under the global energy crisis was offset by solar and wind power generation and improved energy use efficiency, resulting in a lower growth rate than initially feared, and called for an accelerated shift to clean energy.
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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.
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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.
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726. What is the Good Relationship Between Fruits, People and the Earth? ～Tropics and Subtropics are Treasure Troves of Fruits～
Incorporating tropical and subtropical fruit trees into our daily diet is a delicious and enjoyable way to get the nutrition we need. On the other hand, cultivating fruit trees of uniform quality is not an easy task, and in order to cope with the ever-changing global environment, it is necessary to study a wide variety of genetic resources and utilize the useful ones. Today, a JIRCAS researcher who is engaged in research on tropical fruit trees at the Tropical Agriculture Research Front on Ishigaki Island elaborates on the good relationship between fruits, people, and the earth.
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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.
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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.
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723. Climate Change Risk to the Built Environment
Over the past 50 years, the number of extreme weather events - droughts, storms, floods, and extreme temperatures - has increased, and the scale of economic losses has grown each year, affecting the food and nutrition security of vulnerable segments of society. Climate change also causes significant economic damage by destroying assets and infrastructure, and supply chain disruptions affect the investment trends that drive the global economy. The assessment, which was made public on February 20, was the talk of the world's media.
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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.
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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.