On August 21, 2025, Dr. Yvonne Pinto, Director General of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), visited the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), accompanied by Senior Scientist Dr. Kazuki Saito. IRRI and JIRCAS have maintained a longstanding partnership in agricultural research, particularly in rice cultivation, through collaborative studies, information exchange, and reciprocal visits by institutional leaders.

This marked Dr. Pinto’s first visit to JIRCAS since assuming her role as IRRI Director General in April 2024. During the meeting, the two institutions exchanged views on the future direction of long-term research collaboration. Japan’s contributions were highlighted through initiatives such as the carbon neutrality project launched in the ASEAN region in 2024, and the“Accelerating development and scaling of agricultural innovations for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in ASEAN Countries” project (AGRI Project) in 2025.

Discussions also covered specific joint research themes, including the development of low-carbon rice production systems, the application of alternate wetting and drying (AWD) under the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM), and studies on soil microbiology and soil functionality using long-term field trials. Additionally, JIRCAS introduced its “Green Asia” project, sparking dialogue on strengthening research collaboration based on environmentally harmonized technologies.

The partnership between IRRI and JIRCAS is expected to deepen further following the appointment of JIRCAS Special Advisor and former President, Dr. Masa Iwanaga, to the IRRI Board of Trustees in June 2025.

In the latter half of the visit, a special seminar was held featuring a keynote lecture by Dr. Pinto titled “IRRI 2025–2030 Strategy: Driving Rice Innovations Toward Food Systems Transformation.” The presentation outlined IRRI’s mid- to long-term strategic vision and emphasized the role of rice innovation in advancing sustainable food systems, drawing strong interest from attendees.