The Agribusiness Creation Fair hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries was held at Tokyo Big Sight from November 26 to 28, 2024. The fair serves as a "technology exchange exhibition" to showcase the latest research outcomes in the fields such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and food from institutions nationwide, fostering collaboration between research institutions and business communities.

Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) made a notable presence within the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) booth. While SAA displayed its fieldwork, the booth also detailed JIRCAS’s TERRA Africa project, supported by the Nippon Foundation. This research project aligns with SAA's role in extending validated regenerative agricultural technologies from JIRCAS to smallholder farmers in Africa.

Exhibition Booth Highlights
The fair saw about 140 organizations, including research institutions, educational bodies, and private companies, participating and attracting a large number of visitors. The JIRCAS-SAA booth consistently attracted visitors, including Ms. Sachiko YAMAMOTO, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, sparking conversations around technological advancements and shared knowledge.

Leading researchers from JIRCAS and President Dr. Kitanaka among several staff members from SAA stood at the booth and talked with visitors.

This exhibition underscored Japan's diverse agricultural technologies and their potential applications, offering a prime venue to convey the realities and hurdles faced by the agricultural sector in Africa to Japanese stakeholders. For parties intrigued by the TERRA Africa Project, the event proved particularly enlightening, granting a glimpse into SAA’s dedicated efforts in grassroots-level agricultural technology dissemination in the African continent.

<Related Article>Collaboration with the TERRA Africa research project and SAA’s Contributions to mainstreaming Regenerative Agriculture in Africa (February 2024)
<Related Article>The MOU with Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) on agricultural research and extension in Africa concluded (May 2023)