On September 28, the World Bank published a report “Addressing Food Loss and Waste: A Global Problem with Local Solutions." The report states that reduction in food loss and waste may contribute in reducing the environmental impact of food systems while meeting the nutritional needs of a growing population, which is expected to increase by 3 billion within the next 30 years.

The CGIAR, an international research network in the field of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, is working closely with the national agricultural research systems in low- and middle-income countries, and plays a critical role in developing agricultural technologies that would help avoid a global food crisis. According to an estimate by researchers from American universities, CGIAR research investments over the last 50 years have yielded about 10-fold returns, including contributions to improving the yield of staple food crops.

On October 8, 2020, the World Bank released “Africa’s Pulse : Charting the Road to Recovery”, an analysis of issues shaping Africa’s economic future. The report predicted that Sub-Saharan Africa's would enter a recessionary phase for the first time in 25 years due to the economic downturn caused by the global epidemic of coronavirus infection. The report also pointed out that the recovery of the region's economy requires large-scale investment by countries in the region and financial support from the international community, and proposed a structural reform agenda to accelerate fiscal reserves and job creation.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), brown planthopper outbreak alarm has been issued in 28 prefectures and outbreak warning in 11 prefectures. Due to the low temperature and lack of sunshine in July, the damage caused by typhoons and brown planthoppers has led to the decline of cropping index in some areas. JIRCAS has been conducting research aimed at establishing a comprehensive control system for planthoppers with a research institute in Vietnam which is the source of planthoppers.

Today October 16th is World Food Day. The theme for 2020 is “Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together. Our actions are our future”. World Food Day was designated by the United Nations in 1981 as an international day around the world to commemorate the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on October 16, 1945.

In October 2020, the World Bank published the report “Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2020 - Reversals of Fortune”. According to the report, although extreme poverty was steadily declining, this is the first time in 20 years that the number of extremely poor people will increase due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition published its new report, “Food Systems of the Future: Humanity, Our Earth, and Prosperity” on September 29, 2020. This report reveals that the underlying challenges are deep and that the current food systems fail to produce the foods essential for healthy diets in sufficient quantity and at affordable prices. In addition, food production is also driving the degradation of the natural environment and can have a profound impact on future generations. Although the report was commissioned in 2018, COVID-19 has exposed the vulnerabilities and fragility of the global food systems.

October 6th is designated as “International Cooperation Day". On this day in 1954, the Japanese government decided to join the Colombo Plan and started the Official Development Assistance (ODA) to developing countries. Since 1955, Japan has been promoting technical cooperation such as accepting trainees from overseas and dispatching experts. To commemorate this initiative, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) designated October 6 as "International Cooperation Day" in 1987 to promote public understanding and participation in international cooperation.

Established in 1970 as the Tropical Agriculture Research Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, JIRCAS is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year (2020). An international symposium will be held on November 10 (Tue) to commemorate the 50th founding anniversary. We are organizing a webinar-style event under the theme “The role of international collaboration in agricultural research to address challenges in the post-COVID-19 global food system”. Please refer to the 50th Anniversary page for the program and other details. Online registration will start on October 8th.