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535. Realizing Earth-friendly Agriculture with the Power of Microorganisms

Looking at global food production, contamination of surface and ground water is occurring  in systems that use excessive chemical fertilizers to improve soil fertility and productivity. In contrast, a variety of soil microorganisms found in the soil, especially in the rhizosphere of crops, are known to contribute to nutrient absorption by crops. Promoting the activity of beneficial microorganisms is expected to enhance crop productivity and indirectly promote environmentally friendly agriculture by reducing reliance on chemical fertilizers. Today, we introduce a mini-lecture by a JIRCAS research staff entitled, “Realizing Earth-friendly Agriculture with the Power of Microorganisms”
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534. Various Types of Rice ~Rich Rice Culture in Asia

Last month, JIRCAS held an online open house. The mini-lectures by JIRCAS research staff are archived on our YouTube channel. Today, we would like to introduce "Various Types of Rice: Rich Rice Culture in Asia".
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533. The Impact of Diversity in Agricultural Production on Children's Nutritional Status

Malnutrition has major lifelong consequences for children. In this issue, we present a paper that looks at the diversity of agricultural production, food diversity, and its impact on children's nutritional status in rural Madagascar, looking at the diversity of each farmer's agricultural production, food diversity, and its impact on children's nutritional status.
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532. Changes in Virulence of Asian Soybean Rust Pathogen in Bangladesh

Asian soybean rust is a serious problem in soybean production in tropical and subtropical regions. This disease is also a problem in Bangladesh along with the expansion of domestic production. In this study, we investigated the virulence of the Asian soybean rust against known resistance genes in order to control this disease through the introduction of resistant varieties. The results showed that while the virulence of the pathogenic samples in 2016 was weak and many of the known resistance genes were effective, the virulence of 2018 and 2019 samples changed strongly. They included a strongly virulent rust samples for which seven known resistance genes were completely ineffective. While the introduction of resistant varieties is effective from a cost and environmental impact perspective, the development of resistant varieties using gene-pyramiding to deal with highly virulent rusts is needed to achieve a stable effect of control. 
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531. Food Systems, Climate Change and Land Degradation

On May 5, it was announced that the 2022 World Food Prize will be awarded to NASA climatologist Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig who is known for her pioneering work in modeling the impacts of climate change on food production and has contributed to providing the evidence needed for food system transformation. On April 27, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) released the 2nd edition of Global Land Outlook, warning that human activities are putting unprecedented strain on the land.
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530. The 2022 Global Report on Food Crises

The 2022 Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC 2022), released on May 4, reports that almost 193 million people in 53 countries and territories faced an immediate food security crisis in 2021, an increase of nearly 40 million people from the previous year, and expresses concern that the food security crisis has risen over the past six years.

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529. April 2022 Global Grain Market

The problems occurring in Ukraine and Russia, the world's breadbasket, have created a climate of uncertainty in the grain markets. Monitoring trends in major producing and exporting countries that affect demand and supply is critical to global food security. We introduce here the maize situation in Brazil based on the April monthly report on grain market conditions from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

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528. Impact of War on Food, Energy and Finance Systems

The Russia-Ukraine crisis has come at the worst possible time for the world as it grapples with its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Soaring food, energy, and fertilizer prices have increased the risk of further global instability, and on April 13, the United Nations released a report by the Global Crisis Response Group, which expressed concern that 17 million people worldwide will be significantly affected by any one of a number of risks that could spill over into the food, energy, and financial systems from the war in Ukraine. The report expressed concern that 17 million people worldwide would be severely affected by any one of a number of risks that could spill over into the food, energy, and financial systems of Ukraine.

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527. Changing Africa ~Field Researchers' Views on Food and Agriculture in Africa~

On the last day of the JIRCAS Open House 2022, a panel discussion was held on the theme of "Changing Africa: Field Researchers' Views on Agriculture and Food in Africa".

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526. Towards Sustainable Use of Wild Species

Many of the products around us such as cosmetics and supplements that we unconsciously use on a daily basis are made from wild plant species. In recent years, the global demand for raw materials from wild species has been increasing, but they are in danger of extinction due to loss of survival zones, climate change, and over-exploitation. A recent report published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) hopes to raise awareness among all those involved in the wild species trade, leading to conservation through responsible consumption and production.
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525. Importance of Agricultural Diversity in Building Climate Resilient Food Systems

Recently, under climate change, our food system has been exposed more frequently to extreme weather events such as rising temperatures, forest fires, droughts and floods, and new diseases caused by temperature and rainfall changes. The Guardian's April 14 article argues that diversity of genetic resources is the key to climate change adaptation.

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524. International Mother Earth Day

Today, April 22, is International Mother Earth Day. This year's theme is “Invest in Our Planet”. Actions are needed to promote the transition to a sustainable economy that is friendly to both humanity and the planet.
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523. JIRCAS Open House 2022: Live Streaming of Panel Discussion on April 24 at 1:00-2:00 PM JST

The JIRCAS Open House 2022 is now online. A panel discussion focusing on food and agriculture in Africa will be held via live-streaming on April 24 (Sun), the last day of the Open House, from 1:00 PM JST. Please watch and join us.
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522. Stamp Rally Quiz Challenge on International Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

The JIRCAS Open House 2022 is now accessible online until April 24 (Sun) at a special site on the official website. Today, we will introduce 2 activities, the "Stamp Rally Quiz” on international agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, and "360˚ Camera Video" from a researcher/animal's point of view.

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521. Gaps in Global Food Systems Research

On April 12, Nature published an editorial discussing how the war in Ukraine is exposing a gap in food systems research and the need for action by researchers to stem the cycle of another food crisis. The invasion, war, pandemic and financial crisis are all putting unprecedented stress on the global food system.
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520. Three Major Farming Methods for Shrimp Imported to Japan

The Japanese people love shrimp, and in 2019 they consumed more than 230,000 tons of shrimp annually, making them the second largest consumer per capita in the world, after the United States. According to government statistics, about 70% of the shrimp imported to Japan comes from Southeast and South Asian regions such as Vietnam and India. Shrimp caught in these countries were exported until the 1980s, but since the 1990s, production has shifted mainly to aquaculture due to dwindling resources. In addition, 2022 is the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture. In this Pick Up, we will introduce some of the less commonly known methods of shrimp farming.
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519. JIRCAS Online Open House 2022

The JIRCAS Open House 2022 will be held from April 18 (Mon) to 24 (Sun). The open house will be held online and a special site has been set up on the JIRCAS website. We look forward to your participation.
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518. Biodiversity Footprint of International Trade

A paper recently published in Scientific Reports stated that while human activities are the largest contributor to biodiversity loss through direct loss of habitat and indirectly through climate change, the events that contribute to species extinctions often result from consumption and services in areas far-removed from the affected species. The study showed that international trade is responsible for 29.5% of the global species extinction footprint.
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517. The Challenge of Improving Agricultural Productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa

Our World in Data, an online site that attempts to visualize various world events through statistical dashboards, introduced the issue of agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as one of the biggest challenges of this century. In order to achieve both productivity gains and environmental impact reductions, it is necessary to confront the challenges of small-scale farming systems in Africa on a site-by-site basis, experimenting with various innovations.
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516. Towards Making Foods Healthy, Sustainable and Accessible

At the UN Food System Summit last September, the shift to food that contributes to the health of the planet and humankind became the biggest agenda, and a diverse range of stakeholders, not only international organizations and governments, but also civil society and the private sector, expressed their commitment to change. Among them, the Rockefeller Foundation, an influential force in international agricultural research, announced the launching of the Good Food Strategy, which aims for a world where quality food is physically and economically accessible to all people.