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Pick Up426. Building Agrifood Systems Resilient to Shocks and Stresses
Shocks and stresses such as the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change/extreme events, conflicts, and chronic hunger and malnutrition are threatening the stability of the agrifood system. On November 23, 2021, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization released the 2021 State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) report stressing the need to build agrifood systems that are more resilient to shocks and stresses. -
Pick Up425. On Urbanization and Agrobiodiversity
Today, more than 50% of humanity lives in urban areas, and this figure is projected to reach 68% by 2050. Urbanization is a multifaceted process that brings about demographic, biophysical, economic, cultural, and social changes at the global level. A paper recently published in One Earth showed that urbanization is not necessarily a trade-off for agrobiodiversity. For example, with regard to urban and suburban land use, there are approaches that can provide a variety of food products, such as vegetable gardens, orchards and dairy, that contribute to maintaining food and nutritional diversity. -
Pick Up424. Highest World Food Prices Since July 2011
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) released the World Food Price Index on November 4, 2021, reporting that world food prices are at their highest level since July 2011 due to tight stockpile levels. In order to maintain global food security, it is essential to collect and analyze information on short, medium and long-term trends that may lead to imbalances in food supply and demand in the global food system, which is very closely connected, and to be prepared for international cooperation. -
Pick Up423. Advancement of tropical crop genetic resources utilization through the development of database, technologies and research networking (Tropical crop genetic resources)
The JIRCAS “Tropical crop genetic resources” project is promoting the development of strategic genetic resources information, breeding technologies, varieties and materials, and cultivation and dissemination technologies based on the problems and research needs of each crop in Japan and overseas, taking advantage of the diverse and abundant genetic resources of tropical crops and the geographical advantage of the subtropical island research facility. In addition, by sharing and providing information and technologies, we aim to strengthen collaboration that will lead to the formation of networks with domestic and overseas research institutions for the advancement of tropical crop genetic resource utilization.
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Pick Up422. JIRCAS International Symposium 2021 Successfully Held
The JIRCAS International Symposium 2021 on “The Role of Science, Technology and Innovation in Achieving Sustainable Food Systems in the Asia Monsoon Region―A Platform for International Collaboration” was successfully held online on November 17, 2021.
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Pick Up421. JIRCAS International Symposium 2021 Goes Online Today
The JIRCAS International Symposium 2021 with the theme “The Role of Science, Technology and Innovation in Achieving Sustainable Food Systems in the Asia Monsoon Region―A Platform for International Collaboration” will be held online today at 14:00 JST.
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Pick Up420. International Collaboration for Achieving Sustainable Food Systems in the Asia Monsoon Region
The Asia monsoon region covers the economies of East, Southeast and Southern Asia, and is estimated to account for more than 50% of the world's population. Given the importance of the Asian monsoon region to the global economy, it is important for Japan and the international community to build on the successes of sustainable food system transformation in this region. At the JIRCAS International Symposium to be held online tomorrow, November 17 (Wednesday), we will exchange views on cooperative mechanisms and platforms to achieve sustainable development through science, technology and innovation (STI), that takes into account the diversity of the Asian monsoon region and leaves no one behind. Please watch and join us! -
Pick Up419. Fruits and Vegetables – Research and Action Opportunities for Human and Planetary Health – Symposium to be held online on December 6
This year is the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables as designated by the United Nations. In the recent initiatives on food systems transformation, fruits and vegetables are important food groups to focus on due to their nutritional and health benefits and relatively low environmental impact. JIRCAS, in collaboration with the FAO Liaison Office in Japan, will hold an online symposium "Fruits and Vegetables – Research and Action Opportunities for Human and Planetary Health " on December 6 (Mon), 2021 as an official side event of the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit (N4G). -
Pick Up418. Ten New Insights in Climate Science 2021
On November 4, 2021, the report "10 New Insights in Climate Science 2021", which provides the key in determining the path to international cooperation on the climate crisis, was published. Among the new insights, the "rapid growth in methane and nitrous oxide emissions" is attributed to the agriculture and food sectors, and it is important to apply innovations in these sectors to reduce these greenhouse gases. At the JIRCAS International Symposium on November 17, international cooperation to achieve both food security and greenhouse gas reduction through innovation in the Asian monsoon region will be discussed. -
Pick Up417. Impacts of COVID-19 on Food Security
Recently, the daily COVID-19 infections in Japan seems to have settled down compared to the past, and on November 7, there were no deaths for the first time in 15 months. Over the past two years, various changes have been seen not only in Japan but also around the world due to the pandemic. This Pick up introduces two review papers that comprehensively examine the impacts of the pandemic on food security. -
Pick Up416. Announcement of Recipients of the 2021 (15th) Japan International Award for Young Agricultural Researchers (Japan Award)
Since 2007, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and JIRCAS have been presenting the Japan Award to young agricultural researchers from overseas who have made outstanding achievements or research results that will lead to future technological innovations, with the aim of further motivating young researchers to contribute to research and development on agriculture, forestry, fisheries and related industries in developing regions. The recipients of the Japan Award for this year were announced on October 29, 2021. Considering the current situation under the COVID-19, this year’s awarding ceremony will be filmed in advance and broadcasted on Tuesday, November 16, 2021. -
Pick Up415. Forest Ice Cream “Cherimoya”
The 15th Open House of the JIRCAS Tropical Agriculture Research Front (TARF) began on Monday, November 8. Located on Ishigaki Island, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan, the TARF conducts research on the conservation and evaluation of genetic resources, development of breeding materials, and breeding of tropical crops in a tropical rainforest climate, one of the few subtropical regions in Japan. The year 2021 is the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables, which was established by the United Nations to promote global awareness of the nutritional and health benefits of consuming fruits and vegetables. This is everyone’s chance to get interested in tropical fruit trees. -
Pick Up414. JIRCAS International Symposium 2021 to be Held Online ― Towards Achieving Sustainable Food Systems in the Asia Monsoon Region―
As we have already reported several times in this Pick Up, the JIRCAS International Symposium 2021 will be held online on November 17 (Wed), with the theme “The Role of Science, Technology and Innovation in Achieving Sustainable Food Systems in the Asia Monsoon Region: A Platform for International Collaboration”. Please register for the symposium and join us. -
Pick Up413. Online Streaming of the 15th TARF Open House Starts on Monday
JIRCAS is the only national agricultural research institute with a tropical and island research base that enables empirical research in the cultivation environment of tropical crops, and has a major mission to contribute to agriculture in Japan and overseas. As a part of public relations activities for FY2021, the Tropical Agriculture Research Front (TARF) will hold the 15th Open House for one week from Monday, November 8. -
Pick Up412. Status and Trends of Climate Change Adaptation in Africa
On October 26, the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) released a report on the status and trends of climate change adaptation in Africa. One in five people in Africa faced hunger in 2020, twice as many as in other regions. Climate change is expected to cause major changes in areas suitable for agriculture, and agricultural systems, food production and import dependency could change beyond imagination. The report states that the benefits of adaptation measures over the next 20 years will greatly outweigh their investment costs by a factor of five or more.
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Pick Up411. Climate Change Awareness
The 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is currently being held in Glasgow, UK. The recent increase in awareness of climate change has led to the current global decarbonization initiative. However, in order to actually lead to policy and individual action, it is necessary to provide information to the wider community about proposals based on scientific insights.
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Pick Up410. The 15th TARF Open House ―Online Event from November 8 (Mon) to 14 (Sun), 2021―
The JIRCAS Tropical Agriculture Research Front (TARF) will hold the 15th Open House from November 8 (Mon) to 14 (Sun), 2021, as part of its public relations activities for this fiscal year and to introduce its research activities to the general public. For the first time, we will be holding this event online, and we have organized various exhibitions and interactive activities that everyone from children to adults and from anywhere in the world can enjoy.
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Pick Up409. Towards Sustainable Food Systems in the Asian Monsoon Region
JIRCAS will hold an international symposium on the realization of a sustainable food system in the Asian monsoon region on November 17, 2021. Today's Pickup summarizes the characteristics of the Asian monsoon region and the state of agriculture in the region. -
Pick Up408. Net Zero Concept
The term "net zero" has become a hot topic in the international debate on climate change. Just at the end of October last year, the Japanese government announced its goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Net-zero is understood to mean that for every ton of carbon emitted from the use of fossil fuels, one ton of carbon from the atmosphere will be absorbed and fixed through afforestation. However, it is impossible to keep converting rocks into trees forever, and we need to reduce the use of fossil fuels while preserving nature, including the biosphere. -
Pick Up407. Record High Greenhouse Gas Concentration and Temperature in Asia in 2020
On October 25, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced that the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached a new record high in 2020. Then on October 26, it released the "State of the Climate in Asia 2020", reporting that Asia has its warmest year on on record in 2020. Improving the food and nutrition security situation in Asia will require innovations that are resilient to extreme weather risks and mitigate climate change. In particular, innovations must be adapted to local conditions to enable reductions in greenhouse gases from agricultural sources while maintaining food productivity.