On Tuesday, November 5, 2024, approximately 20 newly hired staff members of the Ibaraki Prefectural Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries visited JIRCAS as part of their self-planned training program.

During this visit, they were introduced to the various activities undertaken by JIRCAS in collaboration with various international partners to solve global food and environmental issues, as well as the systems and structures in place to implement these activities. Additionally, experts gave lectures on research in the food and fisheries sectors, which particularly interested the new staff.

Dr. MARUI Junichiro (Senior Researcher, Biological Resources and Post-harvest Division) introduced research activities related to traditional foods in Southeast Asia. He explained efforts to develop safe and nutritious food processing methods using new approaches that are not yet practiced locally, in cooperation with researchers from various countries who are familiar with local food cultures and technologies.

Furthermore, Dr. HONDA Satoshi (Director, Fisheries Division) and Dr. Bong Jung Kang (Senior Researcher, Fisheries Division) introduced sustainable aquaculture practices. They discussed efforts toward efficient shrimp farming, including the development of decision-making tools for aquaculture management and the creation of an indoor shrimp production system. Participants also toured the shrimp rearing facility at JIRCAS.

During the Q&A session with the newly hired staff, there was an exchange of opinions on efforts to apply the research results of JIRCAS in Japan. Through these activities, the staff deepened their understanding of JIRCAS’s research and technology development aimed at creating a society where people around the world can live without food insecurity.