Why 'Quality' Matters in International Agriculture Research?

Date : October 28, 2015
Venue : U Thant International Conference Hall, United Nations University (53-70,Jingumae 5-chome, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan)

JIRCAS has been organizing the JIRCAS International Symposium, an annual meeting where experts discuss a subject based around themes of central importance in international agricultural research. The symposium presentations and discussions specifically deal with research topics that are aimed at solving problems in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and related industries towards sustainable development in developing countries.

Recently, in addition to well-known international development ‘keywords’ such as ‘climate change,’ ‘food security,’ and ‘poverty alleviation,’ international groups have also been paying attention to several new and relevant keywords such as ‘nutrition security,’ ‘establishment of food value chains,’ ‘resilience’ and ‘inclusive development.’ These emerging keywords focus on the qualitative development, rather than the quantitative expansion of the economy as represented by GDP growth rates.

JIRCAS International Symposium 2015, therefore, will focus on ‘quality,’ which is a common factor of these emerging keywords in international development.

In research, we recognize ‘quality’ to mean not only the quality of research outputs but also development objectives and the quality of research approaches such as promoting trilateral cooperation (e.g., a south-south cooperation involving a developed country), strengthening linkages between public research institutes and private companies, and transferring research output to the users.

In this symposium, we will showcase some highlights of JIRCAS international research collaborations implemented under the current mid-term plan covering FY2011-2015 and other studies by our research partners while considering how these researches relate to ‘quality.’ Finally, we will identify the future direction of international agricultural research and the steps that must be taken in order to contribute towards high ‘quality’ development.

Program

Opening Remarks     

          Masa Iwanaga

Welcome Remarks(1)

          Masamichi Saigo

Welcome Remarks(2)

          Kazuhiko Takemoto

Keynote Speeches

• Harnessing agricultural biodiversity for improved nutritional quality, more effective climate change adaptation and better rural livelihoods
  M. Ann Tutwiler (Director General, Bioversity International) 
• Why the Quality of Growth Matter? - from JICA’s experiences
  Ichiro Tambo (Director, JICA Research Institute) 

Session 1: Researches for climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture

• To establish an agricultural system which harmonizes human life with the environment through smart use of rural resources in a regional environment　- JIRCAS’s climate change initiatives for the Mekong Delta, Vietnam
  Yasukazu Hosen (Crop, Livestock and Environment Division, JIRCAS)
• Conservation agriculture as a climate change resilient option – Case studies in Asia and Africa
  Yuji Niino (Land Management Officer, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific) 

Session 2: Approaches to enhance stable food production and consumption in Africa

• A way to strengthen the role of cowpea in West Africa
  Satoru Muranaka (Tropical Agriculture Research Front, JIRCAS) 
• Responding to consumers’ preference in African rice markets: Experiences of Africa Rice Center
  Rose Edwige Fiamohe (AfricaRice) 

Session 3: Evaluation of the various uses of indigenous resources and establishment of value chains in Asia

• Uses of Non-Timber Forest Products in Lao PDR and their values
  Kenichiro Kimura (JIRCAS) 
• Effort in Thailand for value chain establishment and international collaboration
  Patcharee Tungtrakul (Director, IFRPD, Kasetsart University) 

Wrap up discussion

Symposium Pictures