JIRCAS / Message from the President

　　　Steep hikes in food commodity and crude oil prices are slowing progress towards the United Nations Millennium Development Goal (UNMDG) of “eradicating extreme poverty and hunger,” and have triggered popular protests in more than 30 countries in developing areas. These serious matters were discussed at the 4th Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD IV) held on May 28-30, 2008 in Yokohama. They were also on the agenda of the High Level Conference on World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy, organized by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN) on June 3-5, 2008 in Rome, and the G8 Summit on July 7–9, 2008 in Hokkaido.
　　　The Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) was closely involved in these conferences, especially at TICAD IV. We organized a Round Table Meeting together with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and discussed strategies for research into agriculture, a core industry in developing countries especially in Africa, the day before TICAD IV in Tokyo. We also contributed to the establishment of the Coalition for African Rice Development (CARD), an initiative to support the efforts of African countries to increase rice production, and have expressed our readiness to become members of the CARD steering committee, together with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), the Africa Rice Center (WARDA), the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). CARD comprises a consultative group of bi- and multilateral donors, and regional and international organizations working in collaboration with rice-producing African countries. The headquarters of CARD will be located in Nairobi, Kenya this coming October.
　　　The High Level Conference on World Food Security has issued a declaration that the participants from 180 countries, including heads of state and governments, ministers and representatives, will address the challenges of bioenergy and climate change. The current situation of soaring food prices is having an adverse impact on food security, particularly in developing countries and countries in transition, all the more because indicators are showing that food prices will remain high in the years to come. The declaration stated that the relevant United Nations agencies should be guaranteed the resources to expand and enhance their food assistance and support safety net programs to address hunger and malnutrition, where appropriate, through the use of local or regional purchases, as their urgent response. The declaration also urged the international community to act towards setting up investments in science and technology for food and agriculture. Increased efforts in international cooperation should be directed towards researching, developing, applying, transferring and disseminating improved technologies and policy approaches as medium and long-term measures.
　　　Prior to the above international events, the Council for Science and Technology Policy advocated “The Promotion of Science and Technology Diplomacy” on April 24, 2007. It called for addressing the enhancement of cooperation in science and technology in Africa and other developing countries, and disseminating information on Japan’s outstanding environmental technologies to the world. Furthermore, on June 1, 2007, the “Innovation 25” long-term strategic guidelines adapted by the Cabinet Council called for Japan to make international contributions on food, the environment and other issues. The policies set out a plan to realize a future for Japan full of hope and prosperity over a set time frame leading up to 2025. With the development of the policies and major changes anticipated in global agriculture, forestry and fisheries, as already apparent in the recent world food crises situation and emerging global warming, the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research Council, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) formulated the “International Research Strategies: Targeting International Research Reflecting Recent Changes Surrounding Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries” on May 20, 2008. These strategies first identified the recent developments in international research and then listed down important research topics to be tackled and crosscutting policies for promoting international research, mainly for those developing countries being assisted by Japanese international agricultural research.

　　　Thus, the missions of JIRCAS, in which it 1) undertakes comprehensive experimental research for the technological advancement of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and related industries in tropical and subtropical zones of developing regions; 2) collects, analyzes and publishes information on domestic and international research which are relevant to agriculture, forestry and fisheries as well as farming systems in these developing areas; and 3) through the above, seeks to contribute solutions to global food and environmental problems as well as to the stable supply of agricultural, forestry and fisheries products and resources, are becoming more and more significantly important. To accomplish the above objectives, JIRCAS is promoting international collaborative research with more than 60 research institutions in 22 developing countries and inviting more than 100 researchers from developing countries.

　　　The major projects extend over quite a wide area, such as:

　　　All the scientific and technological activities of JIRCAS are documented in the Annual Report. We sincerely hope that readers will find our activities in the booklet interesting and that they will be able to suggest further issues to be resolved in the fields of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries in developing areas.