UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED STUDIES OPERATING UNIT ISHIKAWA/KANAZAWAOUIK NewsletterVol. 2No. 2

Sept. 1, 2013

Partnership between OUIK and Ishikawa/Kanazawa
Kazuhiko Takemoto
Director
UNU-IAS OUIKI am pleased to report that OUIK contributed to the GIAHS International Forum, which was
successfully held last May in Ishikawa Prefecture’s Noto Peninsula, by organizing a GIAHSInternational Workshop as a pre-event to this forum. Our research group on Sustainable
Primary Industries (SPI) played an important role in planning this workshop and developing
discussions among the participating experts from three countries, China, the Republic ofKorea and Japan. I am sure that the outcome of this workshop was fully reflected in thediscussions during the GIAHS Forum, which concluded with the adoption of the Noto
Communiqué. We are very happy that our SPI team will be able to further develop its
research program based on these outcomes, together with research members of United Nations University Institute for
Sustainablility and Peace (UNU-ISP).
Our research group on Satoyama and Satoumi (SAS) has developed its research agenda by collecting knowledge and data foran assessment of satoyama and satoumi under the leadership of Prof. Koji Nakamura (Kanazawa University), who also holds
the position of visiting professor with UNU-IAS. Last July, the SAS research group organized an expert meeting to discuss areport to assess the values of satoyama and satoumi, with the view of possibly contributing to the IPBES conceptual paper.
Another research group on Cities and Biodiversity (CAB) organized expert meetings in June and August to discuss the linkage
between urban planning and landscapes as well as sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity. The CAB researchgroup would like to convene intensive multi-stakeholder discussions in September to further develop this research agenda.
Based on the expertise and experience generated through these research activities, OUIK will support the Fourth IPSI Global
Conference (IPSI-4), which is scheduled for mid-September in Fukui Prefecture, as a part of its Secretariat.
One and a half years have passed since I took over the Director of this unit. I have found that all the research groups havestarted developing their own research agendas in a substantial manner and feel confident that they are all making very good
progress. I am sure that OUIK activities will not be meaningful unless their outcomes contribute to the local community andpolicy development at the local level. In this spirit, I am committed to continue to serve OUIK.
I am pleased that, under the strong leadership of Dr. David Malone, who was appointed as the UNU Rector last March, UNU
has re-affirmed its commitment to the international community in its capacity as the UN think tank. OUIK is a unique officewithin the UNU system, since it has strong support from local governments such as Ishikawa Prefecture and Kanazawa
City, and field sites for pursuing research activities on biodiversity and agriculture. I would like to continue enhancing ouractivities in close collaboration with the local community and citizens.

OUIK’s Objectives:
1. To contribute to international research activities, in collaboration with local partners, towards
a sustainable society, and2. To develop communication and networks with local stakeholders through public outreach andcapacity building, while sharing information on international trends.
1International GIAHS Workshop “Experiences and Lessons of Dynamic Conservation andSustainable Development from Asian GIAHS Pilot Sites”
Workshop Report
Mr. Akira Nagata, Senior Programme Coordinator, UNU
Institute for Sustainability and Peace (ISP), presented
progress on GIAHS in Japan, research related to GIAHS,
cooperation among Asian countries, and future directions
for GIAHS. He mentioned “Noto’s Satoyama and Satoumi”
and “Sado’s satoyama in harmony with Japanese crestedibis”, which were designated as GIAHS in 2011, and stressedthat both systems emphasized the importance of humanintervention in the maintenance and conservation of theecological environment and agricultural systems thathave flourished as a result of such resilient ecosystems
characterized by high productivity and biodiversity. He also
spoke about the increasing emphasis of GIAHS in national
policies, such as The Tourism Nation Promotion Basic Plan and
the National Biodiversity Strategy 2012-2020, both of whichwere established in 2012. Mr. Nagata elaborated on UNU’s
research to develop comprehensive assessment methods
for traditional agricultural systems in Japan. The proposed
future directions for GIAHS in Japan could work towards
image enhancement, adding value to local agricultural
products, and promoting green tourism and international
cooperation. UNU would continue to contribute to thedevelopment of GIAHS with local communities andgovernments, while also facilitating GIAHS cooperation
among Asian countries.

UNU-IAS OUIK organized the International GIAHS Workshop
on “Experiences and Lessons of Dynamic Conservation andSustainable Development from Asian GIAHS Pilot Sites” inKanazawa, Japan on 28 May 2013.
Part I. Development of GIAHS in Asia
Prof. Kazuhiko Takeuchi, Senior Vice-Rector of UNU, firstgave an overview of traditional agriculture in Asia, pointing
out that many Asian traditional agricultural practices
are still utilized today, and they are extremely resilient
and rooted deeply in the daily lives of the people. He
illustrated the point with the examples of an irrigation
system in Sri Lanka and crop rotation system in Indonesia.
Prof. Takeuchi explained that such traditional agricultural
systems in harmony with biodiversity are extremely
resilient, but are rapidly disappearing in the face of social,political and economic changes, as well as the pressuresof rural depopulation and an aging society. UNU has
played an active role in providing technical support andscientific advice to GIAHS applicants and also in promoting
cooperation and exchange among GIAHS countries,
especially in Asia. At UNU, there is also ongoing active
research related to GIAHS and the Satoyama Initiative,
which aims to build resilient and sustainable ecologicalenvironments for rural communities in consideration of
three aspects, namely “enhancing resiliency”, “establishingnew commons” and “creating new business models”.
Prof. Qingwen Min, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGSNRR),
gave an update on the developments of GIAHS in China. He
stressed that GIAHS is an active, living system and that thegoal of the GIAHS initiative is “to protect and encouragecustomary use of biological resources in accordance withtraditional cultural practices that are compatible withconservation or sustainable use requirements”. Prof. Min
introduced China’s Nationally Important Agricultural
Heritage Systems (NIAHS), which were established in 2012and led to the designation of 19 NIAHS sites. He mentioned
ef for ts by governments to designate and conser ve
important agricultural heritage systems, particularly
through raising public awareness, including through media
publicity. Prof. Min also emphasized the importance of
scientific research, which can help to rediscover traditional
values and techniques to improve modern agriculture,conserve biodiversity, withstand climate change pressuresand maintain ecological functions.

From left: Mr. Liang, Mr. Nagata, Prof. Nakamura, Prof. Takeuchi, Prof.
Min, Dr. Kim, Ms. You, Dr. Chen and Prof. Jiao

Part II. Challenges of Local Conservation Activities, andPotential when Combined with GIAHS
Prof. Yuanmei Jiao from Yunnan Normal Universit y
introduced the Hani rice terraces of China’s Yunnan Province.
The terraced paddy fields are a system of sustainable land
use that not only protects the paddy fields from soil andwater erosion, but also serves multiple functions including
biodiversity conservation, ecosystems services, and richindigenous ecological knowledge. Prof. Jiao also introduced
some traditional agricultural practices from Hani terraced
paddy fields, such as the rice-fish and rice-duck systems.
She explained that challenges facing the Hani terraced
paddy fields include poverty, outward migration, droughts
and landslides. Prof. Jiao also shared information about the

Dr. Sang-Bum Kim, Researcher of National Academy ofAgricultural Science of the Republic of Korea, shared thedefinition of heritage in the Republic of Korea and informedthat the country was conducting research on agriculturaland rural heritage resources. He informed that the Republicof Korea launched “Nationally Important Agriculture andFisheries Heritage” in 2012 to raise awareness and interestin tangible and intangible agricultural heritage, value of
biodiversity conservation, and the maintaining of ecosystem
functions.
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collaborate on research and the development of assessment
methods. Prof. Min pointed out that cooperation among thethree countries can be arranged at the international/central
government level by organizing a network among therespective sites in these countries. Prof. Takeuchi stressedthat the most integral aspect is the scientific assessmentof traditional knowledge and systems, and that while
comparative studies are important, they should be basedon the objective of carrying out a scientific evaluation of
the value of the traditional systems. Dr. Kim mentioned aninternational workshop held in March 2013 in the Republicof Korea as an opportunity for the country to better
understand GIAHS.

current conservation policies being practiced by the local
government, including the establishment of a system oflaws and regulations, perfecting of the conservation andmanagement mechanism, and carrying out of monitoringand management in accordance with the laws.
Ms. Wonhee Kanoelani You, Director of the E Study Abroad
Center, Jeju University, introduced Jeju Island of the Republicof Korea. Today, Jeju’s agriculture has flourished and thewhole nation is very much dependent on Jeju agricultural
products, but the soil of the island is mainly made up of
volcanic ash and determining how to preserve the soil isan ever-present challenge for Jeju’s agriculture, the island
has a windy and rainy climate. The local people built long
black stone fences, known as “Batdam”, around their fields
which function as windbreaks and thus prevent soil erosion.
The government and researchers wish to develop data on
Batdam and share positive aspects with other countries, andcontribute actively to the development of GIAHS.

4. What are the challenges facing the development of
GIAHS in each country?
Mr. Nagata pointed out that GIAHS is about small-scaletraditional farming, while agricultural policies in Japan focus
on large-scale high productivity agriculture. He said that thediversification of agriculture is an important task for Japan’s
future agricultural development. Dr. Kim explained that somepeople are wary of outsiders coming in to take advantage of
GIAHS designation to exploit rural resources. He also stressedthat traditional agricultural systems should be protected
and that locals should be able to be self-sustaining after
the GIAHS designation. Prof. Min accepted the importanceof moderate urbanization of rural areas for young people.
He stressed that national policies to harmonize traditional
agricultural policies could also be considered.

Dr. Bixia Chen, research associate at UNU-IAS OUIK,
introduced Noto’s Satoyama and Satoumi focusing onconservation of terraced paddy fields. Dr. Chen explained
the multiple functions of terraced paddy fields, including
crop production, biodiversity conservation, retaining ofwater, and prevention of soil erosion. She introduced someexamples of governmental support such as the “Direct
Payment System for Hilly and Mountainous Areas” by the
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan andlocal efforts such as the “Owner System” and “branding ofrice”. She emphasized the significance of the economic,
social, and environmental benefits that are brought about
by the rice branding scheme as it hopes to reduce chemical
inputs into terraced paddy fields. Dr. Chen also pointed out
the importance of creating “sixth industry” business models
to increase the farmers’ income and to diversify their incomesbeyond rice farming in the hilly and mountainous areas.

5. How to nurture human resources for agriculture for the
future?
Prof. Takeuchi gave an example of big corporations
expanding their business involvement in agriculture, where
young professionals were actively participating. He alsoemphasized that it is critical for producers to have goodknowledge of the market, and IT can be helpful. He raised
the importance of understanding consumer behavior,diversification of products, integrated regional businessnetworks and also community efforts as a whole towards
the maintenance of the commons.

Part III. Discussion
Prof. Koji Nakamura from Kanazawa University, who is also
a visiting professor of UNU-IAS, chaired the discussion, andthe panellists shared their expertise.

Prof. Nakamura closed the workshop by encouraging closer
research cooperation amongst China, the Republic of Korea
and Japan on GIAHS in the future.

1. What are the other potential GIAHS sites in Asia?
Mr. Liang Luohui, Academic Programme Officer of UNUISP, shared information about some potential systems inIndonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar.
2. What are the benefits of GIAHS?
Prof. Takeuchi explained that in the case of developing
countries, designated GIAHS sites can apply for funding andsupport from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Prof.
Min mentioned the international recognition of the system,
finding wisdom from traditional practices for sustainable
development, and opportunities to create a researchplatform for scientists. Dr. Kim shared his hope that GIAHS
can change consumer perceptions of agriculture away fromprice consciousness to including value added benefits aswell.
3. How could cooperation on GIAHS among China, theRepublic of Korea and Japan be fostered?

From left: Prof. Nakamura, Prof. Takeuchi, Prof. Min, Dr. Kim and Mr.
NagataMr. Nagata suggested that the countries could first3

Event Report
The International Forum on Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) was held in NotoThe International Forum on Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) was held in Noto (Nanao City) of
Ishikawa Prefecture from 29-31 May 2013. The three-day forum was attended by over 600 participants, including government
representatives from participating countries (Mr. Kajiya, Senior Vice-Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, graced theoccasion), the Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), members of internationalorganizations, as well as many local stakeholders.
In the morning of the first day, the new candidate GIAHS sites presented
their proposals and efforts undertaken towards GIAHS, which were
provided for consideration and evaluation by members of both theSteering and Scientific Committee. Three candidate sites from Japan
were presented by their respective governors, and were all successfully
designated, namely, “Traditional tea-grass integrated system in Shizuoka”(Shizuoka Prefecture), “Managing Aso Grasslands for Sustainable
Agriculture” (Kumamoto Prefecture), and “Kunisaki Peninsula Usa
Integrated Forestry, Agriculture and Fisheries System” (Oita Prefecture).
In addition, two sites from China and one site from India were also newly
recognized as GIAHS. In the same afternoon, three separate parallelsessions were held where Mr. Liang, Academic Programme Officer ofGovernor of Ishikawa Prefecture (left) and representatives
UNU-ISP, represented UNU and gave a presentation on “Embracing from newly designated GIAHS sites
Diversity for Sustainability: Learning from Traditional Agriculture”, andProf. Nakamura, Visiting Professor of UNU-IAS, also presented on capacity building.
On the second day, a High Level Session of senior representatives and officials was held during which Prof. Takeuchi, Senior
Vice-Rector of UNU, moderated the Panel Discussion with representatives from countries with recognized GIAHS sites ofJapan, China, Chile, Peru and five international organizations including FAO discussed the theme of “Contributions of GIAHS
for a sustainable world.” In the afternoon, the Ishikawa Public Forum was also held.
On the last day, the closing ceremony was held in the morning, during which the outcomes of the forum were announced
and the participants adopted the Noto Communiqué, which notably highlighted the need for: 1. regular monitoring for active
conservation, 2. proactive recognition of GIAHS, and 3. promoting exchange and networks among GIAHS sites. After the closing
ceremony, international participants enjoyed their travel to the rural landscapes of Noto and Sado on the excursion field trip.
Akira Nagata, Senior Programme Coordinator
United Nations University Institute for Sustainability and Peace

Event Announcement
Fourth Global Conference of the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI-4)
to be Held in Fukui, Japan
IPSI-4, entitled “The Way Forward: Implementing the IPSI Strategy for the Benefit of Biodiversity and Human Well-being”, will
be held at Fukui International Activities Plaza on 12-14 September 2013. The Conference is composed of the IPSI Assembly (IPSI
members only), Public Forum open to all interested participants, and a Public Symposium that Fukui Prefectural Government isorganizing to facilitate the full engagement of local citizens and stakeholders. To learn more about the Satoyama Initiative andto get the latest information about IPSI-4, please refer to the Satoyama Initiative website (http://satoyama-initiative.org/en/).
12 Sept. (Thu)
13 Sept. AM (Fri)13 Sept. PM (Fri)14 Sept. AM (Sat)14 Sept. PM (Sat)

Excursion (IPSI members only)
IPSI Assembly (IPSI members only)
Public Forum

Poster Session

Public Symposium

Issued byUnited Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies Operating Unit Ishikawa/Kanazawa (UNU-IAS OUIK)Siinoki Cultural Complex, Ishikawa Prefecture 3F 2-1-1 Hirosaka, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, JAPAN 920-0962
Tel: 076-224-2266
Fax: 076-224-2271
E-mail: unu-iasouik@ias.unu.edu
http://www.ias.unu.edu
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