A new five-year period of the medium to long-term target, as mandated by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Government of Japan, started in April 2021. The Fifth Medium to Long-term Target of the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), a National Research and Development Agency, specifies the overall goals and vision in the implementation of research activities, and upholds the mission of JIRCAS stated as follows: “As a research institution representing Japan in the field of international agriculture, forestry and fisheries, JIRCAS aims to enhance agriculture, forestry and fisheries technology in the world including Japan and to contribute to the advancement of sustainable agriculture, forestry and fisheries, towards the accomplishment of the government policy on the Basic Plan for Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas.” To achieve this noble mission, the following tasks will be prioritized in order to contribute in solving global food and environmental issues.

(1)  Effective and intensive implementation of research and development

• Towards solving global scale issues, JIRCAS will strengthen efforts aiming at the construction of resilient and sustainable system which harmonizes with the environment and mitigates the effects of climate change, and technology development aiming at increasing productivity and resilience to address severe food and nutrition problems. Along with changing international circumstances, JIRCAS will also prioritize on target areas mainly in Asia and Africa.

(2)  Enhancement of function as a core center

• As the national opinion leader on global food and environment problems, JIRCAS will enhance its core center function by collecting and analyzing information on agriculture, forestry and fisheries in developing regions and tropical and sub-tropical regions, as well as the global food system which has become complex and diversified, and for broader dissemination of multi-dimensional information domestically and globally. 

    As JIRCAS pursues the above tasks, we will pay particular attention to swift and flexible response to changing situation in target regions and the consequences of the Covid19 crisis etc., cooperation with various domestic and international partners, and the promotion of public relations using various media and communication tools. In addition, using advanced digital technologies, we will also strive to further enhance productivity and efficiency, improve the quality of our outputs, and promote openness and transparency.

    In order to accomplish the medium to long-term target, we will embark on a five-year voyage with the implementation of the 5th Medium to Long-term Plan along with the JIRCAS slogan “For the future of the earth and food”. We must always be aware of our mission as a publicly funded institution, and let us unite and work together to uphold and create new values based on our common humanity. As the navigator of this rather small boat, I am ready to go through the rough waters ahead. And to all our supporters and collaborators, I would like to sincerely ask for your continued support and cooperation in the next five years and beyond.