JICA Ogata Research Institute Knowledge Forum: Diffusion of the Japanese Rice Farming Technologies to Asia and further to Africa

Africa’s rice consumption has increased since the 1990s, helped by rising income levels and urban population growth, and the amount of rice imported from Asia has continued to grow. Based on this trend, JICA in partnership with Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) launched an initiative known as the Coalition for African Rice Development (CARD) on the occasion of the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) held in 2008. As a result, the amount of rice produced in sub-Saharan Africa has doubled in 10 years. However, African rice production is still unable to keep up with the ever-growing demand for rice. In 2019, phase two of CARD began anew, and efforts to double rice production are ongoing, with a target year of 2030.

On the other hand, Asia, which faced a food crisis in the 1950s and 1960s that was similar to the one faced by Africa today, experienced the "Green Revolution" due to the introduction of high-yield crop varieties. Productivity (yield per unit of land) for rice and wheat increased dramatically during the 1970s and 1980s, and the food crisis has been resolved. However, although rice production in Africa is increasing, this increase is due mainly to the expansion of areas for production, and productivity (unit yield) growth has been sluggish. Why has the rice Green Revolution still not occurred in Africa?

At this Knowledge Forum, Kobe University Professor Otsuka Keijiro, who has spent many years conducting research on development issues, focusing on agriculture in Asia and Africa, will give a lecture on the history of the transfer of rice farming technologies from Japan to Asia, and the possibility of the rice Green Revolution in Africa. We would like to have an in-depth discussion with Otsuka regarding the major questions of what is important for bringing about the rice Green Revolution in Africa, and how JICA should support that. Note that Otsuka gave a lecture with the same title as this forum at the Imperial New Year's Lectures in January, 2022.

Related Links

• Ceremony of the Kousho Hajime (Imperial New Year's Lectures)
• Research project "An empirical analysis on expanding rice production in Sub Sahara Africa Phase 2"

Program

16:30-16:35
Opening remarks
Makino Koji, Director General, JICA Ogata Research Institute

16:35-17:05
Lecture “Diffusion of the Japanese Rice Farming Technologies to Asia and further to Africa”
Otsuka Keijiro, Professor, Center for Social Systems Innovation, Kobe University

17:05-17:25
Talk Session

Panelist:
Otsuka Keijiro, Professor, Center for Social Systems Innovation, Kobe University
Kikuchi Masao, Professor Emeritus, Chiba University
Tsuboi Tatsushi,　JICA Senior Rice Technical Adviser

Moderator:
Fujiie Hitoshi, Executive Senior Research Fellow, JICA Ogata Research Institute

17:25-17:40
Q&A

17:40-17:45
Closing remarks
Amameishi Shinjiro, Deputy Director General, JICA Economic Development Department

JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development

Japanese/English (simultaneous interpretation)

Free

3000 people

Photographs taken during this event may be used on the website and/or future publications of the JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development.