Information Analysis

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771. April 2023 World Food Price Index

After three years of COVID-19 influencing trends in the food supply chain, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on May 5 the end of its global emergency declaration for COVID-19. Also on May 5, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization FAO) released its monthly World Food Price Index, which showed a slight increase of 0.6% in April compared to the previous month, reflecting a reversal in the meat price index and a sharp increase in the sugar price index.

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770. Impact of Extreme Weather in Vulnerable Areas

Climate change is making extreme events more frequent in many parts of the world, and a paper published in Nature Communications shows that regions that have never experienced extreme temperatures may be more vulnerable when exposed to risk. The more vulnerable regions need to reassess their ability to adequately adapt.

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769. Are Animal Products Friend or Foe?

There has been much debate about the health and environmental benefits and risks of animal products. Today we present a review article from the Journal of Nutrition.

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768. Overcoming the Interlinked Crises of Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss

Climate change and biodiversity loss are having a huge impact on our societies and ecosystems. In April, researchers from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) published a paper in Science on the need to address both the interlinked climate change and biodiversity crises.

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767. JIRCAS Mango Genetic Resources Site Now Available in English

The JIRCAS Mango Genetic Resources website has been open to the public since 2017, providing information on mango genetic resources to researchers, producers, and consumers in Japan. In recent years, we have received many visits and inquiries from overseas, and in response to this, we have reorganized the information on the current site and launched an English version of the site with content specifically for overseas users.

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766. Global Climate in 2022

On April 21, the World Meteorological Organization released its 2022 Global Climate White Paper, noting that climate change is progressing, with societies on every continent being hit hard by extreme weather events, Antarctic sea ice is at an all-time low, and the melting of European glaciers is accelerating.

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765. Is Cultured Meat Considered Kosher?

Some religions prescribe foods that should not be eaten, but how do new foods that have emerged with advances in food technology fit into the religious prescriptions?
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764. EU’s Climate Change Policy

On April 18, the European Parliament adopted a policy to promote ambitious greenhouse gas emission reductions within the region and ambitious targets for non-EU member states to reach 2030 climate targets. As a major global influence in setting rules on climate change and environmental measures, Europe's actions are likely to have a significant impact on the policies and strategies of countries around the world.
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763. Earth System and Socio-economic System

Tomorrow, April 22, is International Mother Earth Day. This day was first observed on April 22, 1970, in the United States, where interest in environmental issues had been growing since the 1960s, and has since helped to raise international awareness of the global environment. This year’s theme is "Invest in Our Planet.
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762. IFPRI Flagship Report on Global Food Policy for 2023

In April, the flagship report of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) on global food policy for 2023 was released. This year's subtitle is "Rethinking Food Crisis Responses".

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761. Current Food Price Situation

On April 14, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported that international prices for all major cereals fell in March, with wheat, maize and rice prices all falling due to a combination of factors. Meanwhile, FAO analysis shows that domestic prices for staple crops remain high. The Black Sea Grains Initiative, which was agreed to be extended for 60 days on 18 March, is now less than a month away from its expiry date, and uncertainty is growing as Russia has announced its refusal to extend it and neighboring countries are reportedly moving to ban Ukrainian wheat exports and transit.

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760. Effectively Preventing Nitrogen Pollution on Croplands Around the World

Excessive use of chemical fertilizers on farmland upsets the balance of the nitrogen cycle in nature, polluting groundwater and rivers and contributing to global warming. Reducing nitrogen pollution is urgent, but the millions of small and large agricultural plots scattered around the world pose a significant challenge. A paper published earlier this year in Nature reviewed reports from around the world and identified 11 measures that could significantly reduce nitrogen runoff from farmland into air and water, while increasing crop yields and improving nitrogen use efficiency.

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759. Plastic Pollution, a Borderless Challenge

Inexpensive, lightweight, and extremely durable, plastic products offer tremendous benefits to people's lives. Plastic bags and containers play an essential role in the food supply chain, contributing significantly to the reduction of food loss and waste. On the other hand, environmental pollution caused by plastics is a serious problem that has no borders and requires action by the international community.

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758. Towards Establishing Effective Farmyard Manure Application in Nutrient-poor Soils in Africa

As fertilizer resources continue to be depleted and soar in prices, the use of farmyard manure derived from locally available organic materials is attracting attention to achieve increased food production in infertile soils widely distributed in Africa. In order to use farmyard manure to efficiently improve crop growth, it is important to know where and what kind of farmyard manure to apply. A research team from JIRCAS and the University of Antananarivo conducted rice cultivation trials in a poor-nutrient paddy field in Madagascar to determine the characteristics of the paddy soil and the farmyard manure that are more likely to increase yield when applied to the paddy fields.

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757. UN World Water Development Report 2023: Partnerships and Cooperation for Water

The “UN World Water Development Report 2023: Partnership and Cooperation for Water”, a report by the UNESCO World Water Quality Assessment Program, provides a clear picture on the status of water use in agriculture.

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756. Towards Conservation of Crop Diversity

The resilience and sustainability of food systems depend heavily on crop diversity. Many breeding scientists use crop diversity to develop new varieties and farmers to diversify risk. On March 27, PNAS published a special issue on conservation of crop genetic resource diversity.

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755. GHG Emissions Continued to Increase in 2022

On April 5, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that greenhouse gas emissions continued to increase in 2022, with atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide due to anthropogenic activities reaching historic levels.
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754. March 2023 World Food Price Index

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released on April 7 the World Food Price Index for March 2023, averaging 126.9 points, down 2.1% from the previous month, the 12th consecutive monthly decline, and 32.8 points (20.5%) lower than the high reached a year ago in March 2022. The decline reflected fall in cereal, vegetable oil, and dairy price indeces. On the other hand, depending on developments in international logistics for Russian grains and fertilizers, the impact of the food supply chain disruption caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine may be prolonged.

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753. Solutions to Meet Feed Demand

The production and consumption of animal products and their feed is increasing in the modern food system. Global meat production has quadrupled in the last 50 years, and there is a growing need to monitor trends in livestock and feed production and consumption for their impact on the food system. Here we present the "Solutions to Meet the Need for Feed" proposed by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), an international NGO.

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752. Project Leader Marcy Wilder Participates in the 2023 Award Ceremony of the Japan Prize of Agricultural Science / Yomiuri Prize of Agricultural Science  

Dr. Marcy Wilder, Project Leader in the Fisheries Division, received the "2023 Japan Prize of Agricultural Science/Yomiuri Prize of Agricultural Science" and delivered a commemorative lecture at the Award Ceremony on April 5, 2023.