2026-10-15
Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS)

JIRCAS will host the JIRCAS International Symposium 2026, entitled
“Transforming Agricultural Risk Management in a Multi-Hazard World— Insights for Food Security and Resilience from Science and Field Implementation —” on Thursday, 26 November 2026, at Akihabara Convention Hall, in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. It will be conducted in a hybrid format, combining in-person and online participation.

Global food and agricultural systems are facing a wide range of risks, including extreme heat, drought, floods, and pests and diseases. Under "multi-hazard" conditions, where multiple hazards occur simultaneously or in succession, impacts can cascade and intensify, affecting not only agricultural production but also farmers' incomes, livelihoods, and the stability of food supplies. Addressing these challenges requires not only responses to individual risks but also efforts that connect forecasting information, scientific and technological innovation, and decision-making and action at the field level.

In the keynote session, Dr. Joseph Daron of the UK Met Office and Dr. KANAMARU Hideki of the FAO will discuss the role of climate services in supporting decision-making, multi-hazard early warning systems, and integrated risk management approaches for climate-resilient agriculture.

The subsequent session, "Lessons from Field Implementation," will feature researchers from the Meteorological Research Institute of the Japan Meteorological Agency, Nagoya University, and JIRCAS. Presentations will address climate information and farmers' decision-making in Nepal, as well as the development of yield-enhancing technologies for smallholder rice farmers facing multiple risks in sub-Saharan Africa. The session will highlight challenges and lessons in delivering information and technologies to farmers and promoting their effective use in practice.

The symposium will also include a panel discussion on "Scaling Field Implementation and Advancing International Collaboration." Participants from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the Institute of Agricultural Environment, Vietnam, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and other organizations will discuss adapting technologies to local conditions and extending successful approaches to other regions. The discussion will explore how international collaboration can better connect research and field implementation to enhance agricultural productivity, strengthen the resilience of smallholder farmers, and improve food security.
 

Event Information

JIRCAS International Symposium 2026
Transforming Agricultural Risk Management in a Multi-Hazard World
— Insights for Food Security and Resilience from Science and Field Implementation —

• Date and Time: Thursday, 26 November 2026, 13:30-17:30 (JST)
• VenueAkihabara Convention Hall, 2F Hall A & B (1-18-13 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)
• Online Participation: Available via Zoom Webinar
• Organizer：Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS)
• Supporter: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Japan
• Languages: Japanese and English (simultaneous interpretation provided)
• Registration: Please register via the JIRCAS website
• Deadline:  24 November 2026, 17:00 (JST) URL: https://www.jircas.go.jp/ja/symposium/2026/e20261126_jircas
  Participants attending in person will receive a symposium abstract booklet and will be able to join the question-and-answer sessions.
  　　　　

Program (Subject to minor changes)

Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS)
President: Dr. HASEGAWA Toshihiro

Research Management Contacts: 

Dr. IIYAMA Miyuki (Director, Strategic Coordination Office)
Dr. OMORI Keisuke (Program Director, Information and Strategy)

Media Contact:

Dr. MARUI Junichiro (Head, Public Relations Partnership Unit)
Email (Press Inquiries): info-pr@jircas.go.jp