The 5th Medium to Long-Term Plan, launched in April 2021 with no end in sight to the COVID-19 pandemic, got off to a turbulent start. International travel restrictions were in place from the preparation stage, but we were able to launch and continue our research activities thanks to the dedicated cooperation of our overseas collaborative research partners, based on long-standing relationships of trust. On top of these challenges, geopolitical risks, including the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, exacerbated instability in the global food system, and political and social unrest in key research partner countries like Myanmar continued, significantly limiting our on-site, problem-solving collaborative research activities.

Meanwhile, as global issues such as climate change have become increasingly apparent, the United Nations has undertaken numerous activities to achieve the SDGs. At the UN Food Systems Summit in September 2021, it was confirmed that activities from food production to consumption must be transformed into sustainable systems. Japan also aims to become carbon neutral by 2050, and in May 2021, the MIDORI Strategy for Sustainable Food Systems was formulated as a medium- to long-term policy guideline to achieve both improved productivity and sustainability in the food, agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries through innovation. Furthermore, in 2024, the Basic Act on Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas was revised for the first time in 25 years, and new policies were implemented, including those for “ensuring food security” and “establishing a food system in harmony with the environment.”

In its fifth term, JIRCAS was given the following lofty mission: “As Japan's leading research institution in the field of international agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, JIRCAS shall work to improve agricultural, forestry, and fisheries technology in Japan and around the world, and contribute to the development of sustainable agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.” The organization was structured into four operational segments: “Planning,” “Environment,” “Food,” and “Information,” and a system was put in place to enable streamlined and effective business operations. Improvements were also made to the distinctive “Matrix System,” in which researchers from various specialized fields participate in multiple interdisciplinary research projects. In addition, the newly established Information and Public Relations Office promoted public relations and collaboration, and governance was strengthened, including the promotion of digital transformation (DX).

Years of steady research efforts have paid off: Biological Nitrification Inhibition (BNI)-enhanced wheat has become a world-class research achievement and has been deployed in countries including Japan. Phosphorus fertilization techniques in Africa and microbial saccharification of agricultural waste in Asia have also been widely adopted. A paddy field methane reduction methodology through water management has been adopted as a bilateral carbon credit methodology, leading to participation in international rulemaking. The “Green Asia” project, which contributes to the Green Food System Strategy, has compiled a catalog of many scalable technologies developed with Japanese institutions for the Asian monsoon region, and has conducted field demonstrations of promising technologies that combine productivity and sustainability. These activities have been presented at numerous international conferences and meetings of international organizations, including the G7 Agriculture Ministers' Meeting held in Japan, contributing to international discussions on global food security and the establishment of sustainable agriculture and food systems.

The circumstances surrounding the global agriculture, forestry, and fisheries industries and international collaborative research are constantly changing. In particular, in the tropical and subtropical regions and developing countries that we serve, the need for new technologies is changing dramatically due to economic globalization, urbanization, and rapid economic growth. JIRCAS's activities during its “5th Phase,” a turbulent and fulfilling five years, were remarkable, but compared to its lofty mission, it is still only halfway there. JIRCAS will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2030. Toward a new stage in resolving food and environmental issues through science and technology, under the motto “Together for our food and planetary health,” we will continue to work steadily with local partners on field-centered international collaborative research and create new value for all humanity.

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