JIRCAS Launches TERRA Africa Project to Establish Regenerative Agriculture Suitable for Africa
―New JIRCAS initiative under the Nippon Foundation Program―

With high hopes for increased food production in Africa's savannah regions, it is critical to recognize the vulnerability of these areas to the adverse effects of climate change. Achieving sustainable agriculture in these regions requires the adoption of environmentally regenerative technologies aimed at increasing crop productivity and strengthening soil health.

As part of the Nippon Foundation's overseas cooperation support program, JIRCAS launched the “Technology Establishment for Regional-adapted Regenerative Agriculture in Africa” (TERRA Africa) project. On September 6, 2023, an inauguration ceremony was held in Tamale, Northern Ghana, to commemorate the launch of the project. The TERRA Africa project represents an international effort to advance agricultural technology on a global scale.

This project covers a five-year period from FY2023 to FY2027 and is led by JIRCAS in collaboration with the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Kyoto University from the Japan side, and the University for Development Studies, Savannah Agricultural Research Institute, Center for No-till Agriculture, Degas Corporation as counterparts from Ghana. Over the five-year period, the project will rigorously evaluate the effectiveness of various soil and crop management technologies in Africa, with an emphasis on soil health factors such as biodiversity and carbon stocks. The ultimate goal is to develop an African version of regenerative agricultural technologies that can improve crop productivity and soil health. In addition, the project will develop extension methods to facilitate the widespread adoption of this technology in society, focusing on effective dissemination and implementation strategies.

In addition, in order to accelerate the transfer of the African version of regenerative agricultural technology to neighboring countries, building on the diverse knowledge gained from this endeavor, the project will establish strong links with the activities of the Sasakawa Africa Foundation. This foundation, with the generous support of the Nippon Foundation, has a long-standing commitment to the dissemination of agricultural technology to small farmers in Africa.

The inauguration ceremony of the TERRA Africa project was attended by the President of JIRCAS, the Vice President of the University for Development Studies of Ghana, the Director of the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute, the Secretary General of the Ghana Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Institute, and the Counselor of The Nippon Foundation, among others. All the participants expressed their congratulations and high expectations for the project. They expressed their sincere hope that the research results would be translated into practical solutions for society. They also reaffirmed their commitment to work together to achieve the research goals of the project and ensure the effective implementation of its results in society.

JIRCAS President　KOYAMA Osamu

Program Director：

NAKASHIMA Kazuo (Food Program)

Principal Investigators：

NAKAMURA Satoshi (Crop, Livestock and Environment Division)

Press Coordinator：

OMORI Keisuke (Head, Information and Public Relations Office)
E-mail：koho-jircas@ml.affrc.go.jp