Sustainable food supply chains in drylands that contribute to resolving regional contradictions in ecosystem conservation and climate change adaptation measures

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K20004
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 64040:Social-ecological systems-related
• Research Institution: Tohoku University (2022-2023); The University of Tokyo (2020-2021)
• Principal Investigator: Hara Yuta 東北大学, 災害科学国際研究所, 助教 (50866910)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 食料生産・消費 / 米・小麦食 / 雑穀 / アワ / レジリエンス / 地域計画 / 土地劣化 / 環境共生

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This project identified regional structures and changes in cereal production, distribution, and consumption in China, and assessed their direction in light of ecological conservation and climate change impacts and countermeasures in dryland. Unfortunately, field activities were limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we effected the comprehensive collection and analysis of literature and web-based information, and studied the development trends of rice varieties in dry irrigated areas that supply food to the reforestation areas. In addition, this project clarified the cultivation of traditional local grains "millets" in northern China, and the millets distribution in coastal metropolitan areas. The project also clarified the characteristics of paddy-field aquaculture around China, which combines aquaculture and rice cultivation in the context of environmental considerations and rural development.

Free Research Field

農山村地域研究

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本プロジェクトでは、世界でも注目される近代的「水田養殖」技術、乾燥地の風土と共生した雑穀の生産・流通、統計値ではわからない灌漑稲作の品種レベルでの特徴の解明を、現代中国社会に焦点を当てて取組んだ。水田での水産養殖は、人類社会と自然環境との共生に向けて、SDGsにおいてもGoal 9（持続可能な産業化，技術革新）、14（海洋生態系保全）、15（陸域生態系保全）を横断的に実現する重要な実践的技術と位置づけられている（FAO 2020）。その拡大にどのような課題があるのかを、社会実装の進む中国を事例に明らかにできたことは、世界の乾燥地における食料・農業生産の持続可能性の向上において重要な成果である。