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Pick Up1279. Sustainable Gastronomy and Food Systems
To understand sustainable gastronomy, it is necessary to examine food production and consumption from the perspective of biodiversity, water, and climate change (planetary health), as well as food and health (human health), within the context of the food system. -
Pick Up1278. World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
June 17th is World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2025, and this year we will highlight the potential of land restoration. However, land restoration requires scientific knowledge of the local climate, environment, and soil conditions, and there are many difficult challenges to address. As an example, we will introduce the issue of salt-damaged farmland in the world's drylands. -
Pick Up1277. Current Status of Global Marine Fisheries Resources
Maintaining the long-term prosperity and sustainability of marine fisheries is not only ecologically important, but also socially, economically, and politically important. A new UN report, presented at the Third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice last week, highlights that 35% of the world's fish stocks are currently unsustainably harvested, while effective management can support the recovery and long-term sustainable prosperity of fisheries. -
Pick Up1276. Climate Change Amplifies the Severity of Droughts
Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and severity of droughts, amplifying their impacts on agricultural, environmental, and hydrological systems. Increases in the severity of hydrological and agricultural droughts have been observed in several regions in recent decades due to widespread increases in atmospheric evaporative demand (AED) and regional decreases in precipitation. A paper published in Nature found an increasing trend in the severity of droughts around the world by developing an ensemble of high-resolution global drought datasets from 1901 to 2022. -
Pick Up1275. Copernicus: May 2025 Was the Second Warmest May on Record
According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), May 2025 was the second warmest May on record, with an average surface temperature of 15.79°C, 0.53°C higher than the average May temperature from 1991 to 2020. At the same time, May 2025 temperatures were 1.40°C higher than the estimated average from 1850 to 1900, marking the end of 21 of the past 22 months in which the global average temperature was more than 1.5°C higher than pre-industrial levels. -
Pick Up1274. Responding to the Growing Crisis in the World's Oceans
The oceans are facing an unprecedented crisis due to climate change, plastic pollution, ecosystem loss, and overexploitation of marine resources. From June 9 to 13, world leaders, scientists, activists, and business executives are gathering in Nice, France, for the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) to address the growing crisis in the world's oceans. -
Pick Up1273. World Food Price Trends in May 2025
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) announced the world food price trend on June 6, with the average for May 2025 being 127.7 points, down 0.8% from April. The price index for dairy products and meat rose, but this was offset by declines in the price index for cereals, sugar, and vegetable oils. The food price index was 6.0% higher than the previous year, but remained 20.3% lower than the peak recorded in March 2022. -
Pick Up1272. Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentration Record Updated
Scientists from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography reported that the seasonal peak of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration at the NOAA Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii exceeded 430 ppm for the first time. -
Pick Up1271. Food Safety: Science in Action
Tomorrow, June 7th, is World Food Safety Day, and this year's theme is "Food safety: science in action." JIRCAS is conducting research that contributes to food safety, mainly in Southeast Asia. -
Pick Up1270. World Environment Day 2025
World Environment Day 2025 shines a spotlight on tackling plastic pollution. -
Pick Up1269. The Need for Future-Proof Crop Systems
Climate change is a concern because it will affect productivity through crop photosynthesis and water use, and will have an impact on future food supply. At the same time, crop systems have the potential to contribute to CO2 capture and carbon storage. A review paper published in The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society called for the need to develop future-proof crop systems for adapting to and mitigating climate change. -
Pick Up1268. Resilience Pays Off
Around the world, climate change is significantly increasing the likelihood of severe disasters. For example, the probability of experiencing a 100-year flood during a 70-year life span has risen from 63% for those born in 1990 to 86% for those born in 2025. A report published by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) outlines how investments aligned with the realities of risk can break the cycle of debt, difficulties in insurance coverage, and growing humanitarian needs. -
Pick Up1267. Heat Action Day
Due to climate change, extreme heat continues to occur around the world. A report released to coincide with Heat Action Day on June 2nd found that human-induced climate change is worsening dangerous extreme heat for billions of people and increasing the duration and frequency of heat waves. -
Pick Up1266. International Potato Day
May 30th is the International Day of Potato. This year's theme, "Shaping history, feeding the future," celebrates the deep historical and cultural significance of the potato and its evolving role in today's global agri-food systems. -
Pick Up1265. Climate Change: Global Average Temperature Likely to Exceed 1.5°C Limit in the Next Five Years
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has announced that global temperatures are likely to continue to rise, and there is an 86% chance that the global average temperature will exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for at least one of the next five years. -
Pick Up1264. AI Opens Up the Possibility of Accelerating Innovation in Food Development
The potential of artificial intelligence is one of the most controversial topics of the 21st century in all aspects of modern life. Food science is no exception. The power of AI in food science should not be overestimated, but the enormous impact it will have on innovation cannot be ignored. A paper published in the journal npj Science of Food examines the strengths, limitations, and potential of AI in the food sector to transform the future of food. -
Pick Up1263. Dealing with Stranded Assets in Food System Transition
The need to transition to a healthy and environmentally sustainable food system is becoming more and more urgent. However, one of the factors that hinders food system transformation is a situation called asset stranding, in which asset values are significantly damaged by drastic changes in market and social environments. A paper published in Nature Food has shown a case where asset stranding can occur in the food system and presents a solution to overcome it. -
Pick Up1262. Global Food Crisis
According to the 2025 Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC), 53 of the 65 countries and regions covered by the World Food Crisis Report in 2024 faced severe food insecurity, with 295.3 million people, or 22.6% of the analyzed population, experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity. -
Pick Up1261. Loss of Tropical Primary Forests Due to Forest Fires in 2024
According to Global Forest Watch, run by the World Resources Institute (WRI), 6.7 million hectares of tropical primary forests were lost in 2024, mainly due to large-scale fires. This is the largest area in at least the past 20 years, roughly the size of Panama, and the equivalent of losing an area the size of 18 football fields every minute. -
Pick Up1260. Finding a Path for Global Development Within the Limits of the Planet
May 22 is the International Day for Biological Diversity, and this year's theme is "Harmony with nature and sustainable development." A paper published in Nature magazine discusses a path for global development within the limits of the planet.