The Global Risks Report, published annually by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in January, is drawing attention in predicting trends in global issues as it captures the changing perspectives of world leaders on how to perceive the world. The Global Risks Report 2021 has ranked infectious diseases as the global risk with the greatest impact. At the same time, infectious diseases was 4th in the top ranking global risks by likelihood, along with climate change related risks such as extreme weather (1st), climate action failure (2nd), human environmental damage (3rd), and biodiversity loss (5th).

JIRCAS collects and provides systematic information on global issues related to global food and nutrition issues. The preface of the WEF Global Risks Report 2021 mentioned previous reports about a warning on the threat of a “lethal flu” associated with globalization and industrial disruption of global trade and distribution to control infection, and emphasized the importance of strategic insights. A recent paper published in Global Food Security also emphasizes the need for strategic foresight in guiding the future of agriculture and food systems. In recent years, new issues have constantly emerged, such as the chronic impact of climate change on agriculture, the vulnerability associated with urgent climate change, and the disruption of the global food system associated with COVID-19. The factors driving agriculture and food systems are diverse in space and time series, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and it is necessary to seek local solutions based on macro-level insights. JIRCAS makes recommendations on strategies for international agricultural research by providing systematic information on strategic insights into the global food system, and quantitative and qualitative analysis of global trends.
 

References

World Economic Forum. The Global Risks Report 2021. 　https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-risks-report-2021　

Steven D. Prager, Keith Wiebe, Strategic foresight for agriculture: Past ghosts, present challenges, and future opportunities, Global Food Security, Volume 28, 2021,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2020.100489　
 

Contributor: IIYAMA Miyuki (Research Strategy Office)