Methane is considered the second most important driver of climate change. A study published in Nature Communications examined the latest trends in methane emissions from 164 countries, from both production and consumption perspectives. Taking into account the high levels of emissions in developing countries in Asia and the Pacific, as well as regional and sectoral trends, the study proposes technologies to mitigate emissions drivers through improved energy efficiency and cleaner production technologies.

A new report from the United Nations University (UNU-Institute for Water, Environment, and Health: INWEH) shows that virtual water transfers through food trade alleviate water scarcity for the majority of the world's population, but exacerbate it for millions of people, particularly those living in low-income regions.

On Thursday, August 21, from 18:30 to 19:30, the TICAD9 Thematic Event (MAFF Seminar) titled “Fostering the Future Through International Collaborative Research: Young Researchers Engaging with Africa” was held in a hybrid format at Exhibition Hall D of Pacifico Yokohama. The event was organized by JIRCAS and supported by the Japan Intellectual Support Network in Agricultural Sciences (JISNAS).

Looking back at Nature articles from 50 years ago, its archive reveals that scientists of the time convened a series of international conferences aimed at developing research strategies to effectively address key issues in the interactions between climate, food, and society. At the time, the world had been experiencing cooling since the first half of the 20th century. However, scientists generally agreed that climate change, rather than temperature change itself, posed a more serious threat to the world's food supply. This led to discussions about the need for science and technology to contribute to resolving the increasingly serious issues related to climate, food, and society.

Rice diseases such as bacterial blight and rice blast threaten the livelihoods of farmers in Asia and Africa and jeopardize food security. Scientists address these threats through the development of highly specialized rice lines (near-isogenic lines, or NILs) that carry unique resistance genes in a uniform background. The bacterial blight and rice blast lines, developed through long-standing collaboration between the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), have become the global standard in rice disease research. This blog from the IRRI looks back on the achievements of the IRRI-JIRCAS collaborative research.

The Thailand National Science and Technology Fair 2025 is Thailand's largest annual science and technology exhibition. This year, it was held at the Queen Sirikit International Convention Center in Bangkok from August 9th to 17th. JIRCAS exhibited the results of its international collaborative research on Khanom Jeen, a traditional Thai fermented rice noodle, and Khon Kaen 4, a recommended Thai sugarcane variety. 

The seminar, titled " Building Climate Resilient Agrifood Systems in Africa – the Role of Science and Public-Private Partnership," will take place on Friday, August 22, 2025, from 12:15 to 13:45 (JST) at TKP Garden City PREMIUM Minatomirai.

The 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) will be held in Yokohama this week, from August 20th to 22nd, 2025. A report by AGRA identifies Africa's high population growth rate as one of the key megatrends for the development of Africa's food systems.

Extreme heatwaves, with dangerously high daytime and nighttime temperatures, are affecting millions worldwide, highlighting the importance of early warnings and heatstroke prevention action plans. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), from late July to early August, temperatures exceeded 42°C in Western Asia, southern Central Asia, much of North Africa, southern Pakistan, and parts of the southwestern United States. Japan also recorded a national high of 41.8°C on August 5th.