UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Japan’s University of Tsukuba pledge to work together toward improvements in global food security
New generation of agricultural scientists critical to achieving a food-secure world
A top-ranked university in Japan is teaming up with the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to improve the regional knowledge base and promote joint efforts in the fight against hunger and under-nutrition, the FAO’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific announced today.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) entered into effect today between FAO and the University of Tsukuba during a signing ceremony at the university in Japan’s Ibaraki Prefecture, 65 kilometres northeast of Tokyo.
The MoU was signed on behalf of FAO by Hiroyuki Konuma, Assistant Director-General and FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific and Kyosuke Nagata, President of University of Tsukuba. At the ceremony, University of Tsukuba was represented by Dr Caroline Benton, vice president, and Professor Kazuo Watanabe.
“In an age where agricultural studies have been on the decline worldwide, this partnership with one of Japan’s top ten and well respected universities will promote agriculture education and raise awareness of the importance of food, agriculture and food security,” said Konuma. “The signing of this MoU with the University of Tsukuba further indicates the importance FAO places on the partnership with academic institutions, agricultural research and development and the critical and innovative roles they will play in producing enough food to feed a hungry planet in the not too distant future,” Konuma added, pointing out that the world will need to produce a minimum of 60 percent more food by 2050 when the earth’s population is expected to surpass nine billion inhabitants.
Nobel Alumni
The University of Tsukuba was originally founded in 1872 and formally established in 1973. Today it has more than 15 000 students and is formally recognized as one of Japan’s top ‘global’ institutes of higher learning. It has developed a very strong science programme that has produced three Nobel Prize winning scientists.
The university has a leading agriculture/horticulture science research programme with a special emphasis on sustainable food supply and its knowledge service is being developed and disseminated through four research centres, closely linked to the college of Agro-biological Resource Science as well as a variety of partners.
Through the MoU, it is expected this partnership will create a space for the possibility of joint collaboration on specific thematic areas if and when opportunity arises as mutually agreed. Joint awareness building on food security and the fight against hunger will also feature strongly where appropriate.