TOKYO, July 7 — The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations announced on July 6 that it has newly designated the fallen leaves compost agroforestry in the Musashino district of Saitama Prefecture and the traditional Tajima cattle raising system in the Mikata district of Hyogo Prefecture as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS). The Musashino district composts fallen leaves collected from woods adjacent to agricultural fields to make fertilizers for cultivating sweet potatoes, while the Mikata district hands down the traditional farming method for raising cattle, having established Japan’s first cattle lineage register in 1898. The GIAHS initiative gives recognition to areas which preserve agricultural technologies and landscapes … Continue reading →

NIIGATA, July 3 ― The city of Sado, Niigata Prefecture, was designated as the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) in 2011, the first such case in Japan, for its satoyama landscape where people coexist with endangered Japanese crested ibis, called toki in Japanese. During the 12 years after its designation, how did the city manage to spread agriculture that provide nurturing habitats for crested ibis? How can agriculture and economy be balanced with biodiversity? Many crested ibis can be seen at the Kuninaka Plain, located right in the middle of Sado Island which is shaped like the letter S. It is a densely inhabited area with paddy fields spreading … Continue reading →