The 9th G20 Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (G20 MACS), an annual meeting aimed at bringing together high-level agricultural scientists and administrators from the G20 countries, invited guest countries and international organizations, to discuss priorities and strengthen cooperation in agricultural research on stable global food supply was held in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia on the 18th and 19th of February 2020.

JIRCAS President, Dr. IWANAGA Masa, who served as chair of the 8th G20 MACS held in Tokyo last year, participated in the meeting with representatives from the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research Council Secretariat (AFFRCS) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). JIRCAS has participated and contributed to various G20 MACS initiatives since the first meeting was held in Mexico in 2012.

At the plenary session, President Iwanaga handed over the chairmanship of G20 MACS to Saudi Arabia and reiterated Japan’s cooperation in ongoing activities with a follow-up of the workshop on transboundary plant pests launched in conjunction with the 8th G20 MACS. The Deputy Director-General of AFFRCS, Mr. SHIMADA Kazuhiko, also provided an overview of agricultural research activities in Japan including a report of the G20 MACS-related workshops held in Japan in 2019.
A total of 67 representatives from the G20 countries, invited guest countries and international organizations participated in the plenary sessions with discussions focusing on sustainable agricultural development in drylands, promoting agricultural productivity through innovative cutting-edge technologies and the fusion of water, energy and food to address future challenges in global food security.