The Role of NIAES
Director General
Dr. Katsuyuki Minami
The former National Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences (NIAES) of the
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) was founded in 1983
to conduct advanced and basic technological development pertaining to the
control, maintenance and utilization of the agro-environment, including the
biological environment.
Already one and a half years have passed since the National Institute for
Agro-Environmental Sciences (NIAES) was turned into a semi-autonomous agency.
The new NIAES concentrates on fulfilling its research mission on a global
scale as follows: 1) strategies to ensure stable food supplies under global
environmental change, 2) assuring the safety of food and environment utilizing
the natural circulation function of agriculture, and 3) succession of the
agro-environmental resources to future generations.
In order to efficiently pursue the research targets outlined above, the new
NIAES was reorganized: 1) the Department of Research Planning and Coordination
was reinforced to facilitate the processing of research problems and funding,
2) the research sections were divided into three departments to tackle the
issues of global change, biological safety and environmental chemistry, 3)
the Natural Resources Inventory Center was established with the aim to sustain
and pass on agro-environmental resources to future generations, 4) the Chemical
Analysis Research Center was established to collaborate in the analyses of
environmental trace chemicals, such as dioxin and radioisotopes, and 5) research
groups and teams were established in each department. An innovative and flexible
unit system was established within the research groups. A researcher is able
to work in two departments simultaneously.
In order for the structure to function efficiently, we aim to pursue the following
key concepts: 1) publicity, autonomy and transparency, 2) safety, secure,
restraint and the succession of environmental resources to future generations,
and 3) international, interdisciplinary, and interregional contribution.
There is an old famous proverb by King Tang of the Yin Dynasty (BC 16) said
to have been engraved in the washbasin where he washed his face every morning:
"If you can today renovate your world, do so day to day. Yea, let there
be daily renovation."
The researchers who work with environmental issues should remember these words
at all times. Let me cite two examples. People in the world have noticed the
importance of understanding environmental risk. Living with risk requires
understanding manifold ideas, such as risk management, risk assessment, risk
communication and risk trade-off. Another example is the concept of "eco-economy"
represented by Lester R. Brown. This is also a new concept all over the world
derived from environmental problems.
It is a great challenge for us to make the most of our organization's capabilities
for applying these concepts of "risk" and "eco-economy".
It is true that these concepts are very important for tackling the environmental
issue in the future. However, I hope that we will be able to answer the many
questions posed by environmental problems by combining the new organization
system with our wisdom.
Director General
Katsuyuki Minami
