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The Monsoon Asia Agro-Environmental Research Consortium (MARCO): Toward International Research Collaboration

Rice-planting by hand (photo: Dr. Mitsunori Oka)

What is MARCO ?

“Monsoon Asia” is an Asia region under monsoon climate, which has rice farming as a basis for food production. Agriculture in the Monsoon Asia is very diverse from north to south, while the monsoon Asian countries are all characterized by high biodiversity around rice fields.

These countries are also all confronted with environmental deterioration in agro-ecosystem. This problem may be caused by the change in land use as economical development and as population growth, the invasion of alien species due to globalization of trade, and the contamination of farmlands by chemical pollutants from industries. Furthermore, there is a great concern that the agricultural ecosystem could collapse due to global warming, and another concern that the agricultural activities themselves cause environmental pollution such as water pollution with excess chemical fertilizers and pesticides, generation of green house gases such as methane and nitrous oxide from farmlands.

To solve these issues, researchers in the region should collaborate to tackle against them.

Therefore, NIAES held the international symposium entitled “Evaluation and Effective Use of Environmental Resources for Sustainable Agriculture in Monsoon Asia: Toward International Research Collaboration”, 12-14 December, 2006.

http://www.naro.affrc.go.jp/archive/niaes/sinfo/sympo/h18/20061212/

At this symposium, all participants agreed to adopt the Symposium Statement.

Symposium Statement

“To Further Advance Agro-Environmental Research in Monsoon Asia”
The 276 participants from 15 countries in the international symposium “Evaluation and Effective Use of Environmental Resources for Sustainable Agriculture in Monsoon Asia -Toward International Research Collaboration”, hosted by the National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences (NIAES) and supported by the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research Council of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, hereby confirm and agree upon the following points by consensus.

  1. In monsoon Asia it is urgent that we solve environmental problems affecting agriculture in order to achieve sustainable development while maintaining a sound agro-ecosystem.
  2. Solving these problems requires that researchers, administrative authorities, research institutes, and other entities connected with agriculture and the environment in the countries of this region make a concerted effort under close collaboration.
  3. For that purpose, we shall create the Monsoon Asia Agro-Environmental Research Consortium, which transcends the boundaries of specialization and countries, and conduct agro-environmental research through international collaboration under the consortium.

Based upon the Symposium Statement, NIAES will pursue the following activities for the purpose of conducting research under the Monsoon Asia Agro-Environmental Research Consortium (MARCO).

  1. Regularly provide venues for events such as international symposia for exchanging research information.
  2. Provide a website as a venue for exchanging consortium information.
  3. Help train the people who will carry on activities under the consortium.

Mission Statement

Monsoon Asia Agro-Environmental Research Consortium
(MARCO)

Mission Statement

The mission of MARCO is to promote the development of agro-environmental research in Monsoon Asia in order to achieve sustainable development of agriculture while maintaining the sound agro-ecosystem.

Objectives

To accomplish the mission defined as above, the objectives of MARCO are as follows:

Activities

To achieve the objectives, MARCO shall design the following activities.

News

MARCO Workshop on Technology Development for Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agriculture
(15-18 Nov. 2011)   Tsukuba, Japan
http://www.naro.affrc.go.jp/archive/niaes/sinfo/sympo/h23/20111115.pdf (Program) [PDF file]
http://www.naro.affrc.go.jp/archive/niaes/sinfo/sympo/h23/20111115poster.pdf (Poster) [PDF file]
http://www.naro.affrc.go.jp/archive/niaes/marco/2011workshop/ (Program, Abstracts, and Presentations)

International Workshop on Advanced Use of Satellite- and Geo-Information for Agricultural and Environmental Intelligence
—In association with MARCO—
(March 2-4, 2011)   Tsukuba, Japan
http://www.naro.affrc.go.jp/archive/niaes/sinfo/sympo/h22/20110302e.html

International Seminar on Enhancement of Functional Biodiversity
Relevant to Sustainable Food Production in ASPAC
--In association with MARCO--
(November 9-11, 2010)   Tsukuba, Japan
http://www.naro.affrc.go.jp/archive/niaes/sinfo/sympo/h22/20101109e.html
http://www.naro.affrc.go.jp/archive/niaes/sinfo/sympo/h22/1109/ (Proceedigs)

International Workshop on Evaluation and Sustainable Management
of Soil Carbon Sequestration in Asian Countries
(September 28-29, 2010)   Bogor, Indonesia
http://www.naro.affrc.go.jp/archive/niaes/marco/bogor2010/ (Proceedings)

MARCO/GRA Joint Workshop
on Paddy Field Management and Greenhouse Gases
(September 1-3, 2010)
Tsukuba, Japan
http://www.naro.affrc.go.jp/archive/niaes/sinfo/sympo/h22/20100901e.html
http://www.naro.affrc.go.jp/archive/niaes/marco/marco_gra2010/ (program, abstracts, and presentations)

MARCO Symposium 2009
“Challenges for Agro-Environmental Research in Monsoon Asia”
(October 5-7, 2009)
Tsukuba International Congress Center (Epochal Tsukuba), Tsukuba, Japan
http://www.naro.affrc.go.jp/archive/niaes/marco/marco2009/english/ (with Proceedings)

Marco Workshop
“A New Approach to Soil Information Systems for Natural Resources Management in Asian Countries”
(October 14-15, 2008)
Tsukuba International Congress Center (Epochal Tsukuba), Tsukuba, Japan
http://www.naro.affrc.go.jp/archive/niaes/marco/2008workshop/

NIAES International Symposium 2007
“Invasive Alien Species in Monsoon Asia: Status and Control”
(Oct. 22-23, 2007)
Epochal Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
http://www.naro.affrc.go.jp/archive/niaes/sinfo/sympo/h19/20071022e.html

ESAFS-JSSSPN-NIAES-JIRCAS-NARO.NARC-FFTC International Symposium
“New Challenges for Agricultural Science : Harmonizing Food Production with the Environment.”
(Oct. 22, 2007)
Epochal Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan

Invitation to MARCO

MARCO is a flexible research collaboration network to facilitate international collaboration for agro-environmental research in Monsoon Asia region. We would like to invite research organizations which wish to collaborate under the framework of MARCO. Please contact us.

Member Institute (under construction)

Contact

marco-niaes@niaes.affrc.go.jp

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