East Asian AgMIP Meeting in Japan

Aug 12, 2015

 

By: Shari Lifson

An upcoming workshop, August 26-28, 2015, organized by the Monsoon Asia Agro-Environmental Research Consortium (MARCO) with the cooperation of the Food and Fertilizer Technology Center (FFTC), will be held in Tsukuba, Japan to share the latest advances in understanding climate change related problems in collaboration with smallholder rice farmers in Monsoon Asia who adapt rain-fed and irrigated agriculture.

The workshop is based on the East Asian regional program of AgMIP for countries in Monsoon Asia, including South East Asia through South Asia, with the goal of developing a collaborative approach to climate change adaptations. AgMIP-EA will also hold a one-day technical meeting on August 25th.

Daniel Wallach, co-lead of the AgMIP Uncertainty Team, will attend the meeting and present an overview of AgMIP and an introduction to AgMIP activities in Monsoon Asia.

Photo: MARCO

Agriculture, mainly paddy rice, in Monsoon Asia has achieved sustainable production while fostering distinctive agro-ecosystems. The demand for food, however, is going to increase considerably due to population growth, economic development, biofuel production and other factors. As a result, the demand for agricultural production in this region will increase significantly. In addition agricultural and environmental problems, including urbanization, pollution from industry, environmental impacts of agricultural intensification, deterioration of natural resources, and the progress of global warming, are getting more serious and cast a shadow over agriculture and the environment. In order to meet the growing demands on agriculture while using natural resources in sustainable ways and providing protection and support for the ecosystem, it is imperative that researchers and administrators of this region closely collaborate, internationally, by facing the emerging problems as challenges and opportunities.

To meet these growing concerns MARCO, or the Monsoon Asia Agro-Environmental Research Consortium, was organized by an agreement of participants from 15 countries. The MARCO Symposium 2015 will provide a venue for exchanging information on the current status of problems, latest study results and for discussing the direction of the next challenges of research as well as ways to strengthen collaboration for the challenges.

For more information see the announcement and program for the upcoming workshop.