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Pick Up667. Global Fertilizer Market and Policy Trends
Russia's invasion of Ukraine is casting a dark shadow over the global economy post-pandemic by disrupting supply chains and creating inflationary pressures on energy, agricultural, and fertilizer prices. Not only are Russia and Ukraine major grain exporters, but Russia in particular is the world's largest fertilizer exporter, and the geopolitical crisis will have a major impact on agricultural production in countries dependent on imported fertilizer. Today, we present a summary of a report on global fertilizer market and policy trends compiled by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). -
Pick Up666. Global Warming Trends Reported Around the World
Recently, there have been reports from around the world suggesting accelerated global warming. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the past eight years have been the hottest on record due to heat retention caused by increased greenhouse gas emissions, and while 2022 is projected to be only the fifth or sixth hottest year on record due to a third consecutive La Niña event, long-term warming is ongoing. -
Pick Up665. Seminar on "The application of science and traditional knowledge to foster the utilization of foods obtained from local landscapes for improved nutrition and livelihoods"
Foods from local landscapes provide an important source of nutrition and livelihoods for local communities in Africa and Asia. This seminar will invite experts to share their insights and experiences in the application of science and traditional knowledge to foster the utilization of foods obtained from local landscapes for improved nutrition and livelihoods.
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Pick Up664. The Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan
The 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was held until the end of last week. The Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan, which was finalized after extended negotiations, reaffirmed the commitment of the Parties to limit global temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and emphasized the importance of water and water-related ecosystem conservation in adaptation. -
Pick Up663. FAST Initiative: Toward Sustainable Transformation of Food and Agriculture
The 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), scheduled to last until November 18, has extended its session and reached an agreement to establish an assistance fund for developing countries regarding "loss and damage”. In order to transform agriculture and food systems into sustainable ones, we need to coordinate our efforts at the global and regional levels. In this issue, we will introduce the Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation Initiative (FAST) launched during the session. -
Pick Up662. Extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the FAO Food Outlook
The four-party agreement between the United Nations, Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey that guarantees exports of Ukrainian grain was set to expire on November 19, but it has been announced that it will be extended for 120 days, which is expected to avert a global food price spike for the time being. Meanwhile, trends in food, fertilizer, and energy prices, via the food system, have a major impact on global food security. The FAO Food Outlook released on November 11 announced that world food imports for 2022 will be higher than expected. -
Pick Up661. JIRCAS International Symposium 2022 Registration Deadline Today
The JIRCAS International Symposium 2022 “Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture in the Sustainable Food Systems” will be held on the afternoon of Tuesday, November 22, in a hybrid meeting format. The sustainable development of artisanal and small-scale fisheries and aquaculture is essential to achieving the SDGs. Dr. Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted, recipient of the 2021 World Food Prize for her significant contribution to improving the nutrition and livelihoods of the population through the development of technologies with a nutrition-sensitive approach to aquaculture and food systems, will also be a keynote speaker. -
Pick Up660. Investment in Climate Change "Loss and Damage” and "Adaptation and Mitigation" in the Agricultural Sector of Developing Countries
At COP27, financial support for "loss and damage" such as heavy rains and droughts suffered by developing countries is on the agenda. Although the climate change debate has intensified the conflict between developed and developing countries, international cooperation to promote innovation in climate change adaptation and mitigation in the agricultural sector is required to achieve sustainable development in which no one is left behind. -
Pick Up659. Net-positive Goals to Biodiversity Loss
The World Wildlife Fund released the "Living Planet Report 2022" in October 2022. Biodiversity loss has become an important global issue comparable to global warming. However, unlike climate change, net-zero thinking alone is not enough to address biodiversity loss and it is necessary to pursue net-positive goals to restore what has been lost. -
Pick Up658. Awarding Ceremony for the 2022 (The 16th) Japan International Award for Young Agricultural Researchers (Japan Award)
The awarding ceremony for the 2022 (The16th) Japan International Award for Young Agricultural Researchers (Japan Award) will be held on Tuesday, November 22, from 10:00 AM. The Japan Award was started in 2007 with a generous donation from Mr. MOTAI Shigeru, former Chairman of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research Council (AFFRC). This year marks the 16th time the award is given. The JIRCAS International Symposium 2022 “Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture in the Sustainable Food System” will be held on the same day from 1:00 PM. -
Pick Up657. World Population Surpasses 8 Billion!
Tomorrow, November 15, 2022, is the day that the world's population is estimated to reach 8 billion. Knowing global population trends is essential to planning for sustainable development internationally, including efforts to build food systems that are resilient to climate change, preserve the environment and biodiversity that support current and future generations, and ensure that no one is left behind with a nutrient-rich food supply. Today's Pick Up summarizes previous articles on world population.
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Pick Up656. UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2022: The Closing Window
On October 27, the UN Environment Programme released the “Emissions Gap Report 2022: The Closing Window – Climate crisis calls for rapid transformation of societies”, warning that the current greenhouse gas reduction measures are far from achieving the Paris Agreement's target of a temperature increase of less than 1.5°C. -
Pick Up655. Toward the Establishment of Insecticide Susceptibility Monitoring Network for Fall Armyworm in Indochina
Fall armyworm is a transboundary pest that is capable of self-migrating over long distances. Therefore, if a strain develops resistance to insecticides in one region, it may quickly spread to neighboring countries. In order to suppress the development of insecticide resistance in fall armyworm, it is necessary to establish a network that enables monitoring of changes in susceptibility to insecticides in each country and prompt international countermeasures based on the results of such monitoring.
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Pick Up654. COP27 Side-Event Organized by MAFF: Introduction of JIRCAS Research
On November 12 (Sat), JIRCAS researchers will participate in the COP27 side-event hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) to introduce the results of technology development projects in Japan that will contribute to addressing climate change. -
Pick Up653. Research on Asian Soybean Rust Pathogen in Mexico Wins 2021 PhytoFrontiers Best Student Paper Award
The paper entitled “Virulence Diversity of Phakopsora pachyrhizi in Mexico” by Julio César García-Rodríguez of INIFAP, Naoki Yamanaka of JIRCAS and their colleagues, has received Honorable Mention for the 2021 PhytoFrontiers Best Student Paper Award from the American Pytopathological Society. This paper provides a rare global example of clear geographic variation in the virulence of Asian soybean rust (ASR) pathogen in adjacent regions. This discovery clarified that the introduction of resistant soybean varieties with stable resistance, including the pyramiding of resistance genes, is necessary to overcome the large geographical differences in virulence of the Mexican ASR pathogen.
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Pick Up652. October 2022 World Food Price Index
On November 4, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released its world Food Price Index, which averaged 135.9 points for October 2022, showing little change overall from the previous month, with most indicators showing declines at the monthly level, except for cereal prices. However, the situation surrounding the international grain market remains fluid due to developments in Russia regarding the extension of its initiative on Ukrainian grain exports from the Black Sea. Last week also saw the release of the FAO report “The State of Food and Agriculture 2022: Leveraging Automation in Agriculture for Transforming Agrifood Systems”. -
Pick Up651. Greenhouse Gas Levels Hit New Record Highs in 2021
The World Meteorological Organization has reported that the concentration of three major greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere has reached new record highs in 2021. Prominent researchers have warned that the planet is now in a “code red” state of high alert and have called for the need for drastic policy action. The UN Climate Change conference, COP27, to be held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, beginning November 6, is expected to discuss efforts to limit temperature rise to within 1.5°C of pre-industrial levels.
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Pick Up650. JIRCAS Research Collaborator Receives 2022 IFA Emerging Scholar Award
Dr. Jean-Martial Johnson of the Africa Rice Center, one of the CGIAR centers, has received 2022 IFA Emerging Scholar Award.
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Pick Up649. Report on the First Meeting of the International Scientific Advisory Board for Strategy “MeaDRI”
Based on its many years of experience in international research collaboration in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, JIRCAS has been working on the project “Accelerating application of agricultural technologies which enhance production potentials and ensure sustainable food systems in the Asia-Monsoon region” since FY2022 as an implementing agency assigned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. On October 25, the first meeting of the International Scientific Advisory Board for Strategy “MeaDRI” was held in Tokyo and there was a lively exchange of views and advice on the activities of the project.
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Pick Up648. Growing Tomatoes and Strawberries on a Subtropical Island
Tomatoes and strawberries have become common vegetables for Japanese people. Recently, demand for fruit and vegetable crops such as tomatoes and strawberries has been increasing in Southeast Asia, where economic growth has been remarkable. In order to develop cultivation techniques for tomatoes and strawberries that are as delicious in tropical and subtropical regions as they are in Japan, we are conducting research at the Tropical Agriculture Research Front (TARF) on Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture. TARF will be open to the public for one week from today, so please come and see the Open House.