Research Activities

This project aims to clarify agricultural patterns, arable ecosystems, and the distribution of agricultural products between urban and rural areas in three regions. The main subjects will be paddy rice cultivation and livestock production in Japan, paddy rice cultivation and forest production/forestry in Southeast Asia, and slash-and-burn and agro-pastoral complex in Africa. The project will also investigate the consumption patterns of farmers, as well as the regional and global distribution systems of agricultural products and the volume of agricultural products in circulation, using statistical data and other methods. We will also focus on fertilizer application techniques in rural areas, analyzing the actual use of materials such as chemical fertilizers, livestock manure, and compost. We will clarify the awareness and values of organic waste, and examine breakthroughs to promote the recycling of biomass resources.

Waste emissions, treatment, and hygine will be investigated in cities in three regions. The study will examine the types and weights of household wastes, their collection and treatment methods, and the types and weights of waste materials in households, divided into human waste, sewage, and other waste materials. In Japan, we will focus on disposals and sewage treatment issues in the urban centers of Kyoto, as well as on the treatment of food waste and sewage sludge, and identify treatment processes centered on decomposition and issues for agricultural use. In Southeast Asia and Africa, garbage separation is not practiced to a great extent, and open dumping - landfilling of garbage by piling in the open - is the mainstream. The project will examine issues and measures for the agricultural use of organic wastes such as household and sewage sludge and the restoration of livelihood infrastructure.

The Virtual Nutrition Map (VNP) will be created for 196 countries around the world using FAOSTAT (FAO's data on agricultural imports and exports) and other data compiled by the FAO. The VNP will create two types of maps: 1) how much nutrients (nitrogen, phosphate, potassium, etc.) do importing countries collect from all over the world and accumulate in their land, and 2) Two types of maps will be created to show how much nutrients are needed, assuming that importing countries produce agricultural products and timber, and the movement balance of nutrients for 196 countries in the world.

Field experiments will be conducted in paddy rice and field crops in Japan, paddy rice and forestry production areas in Southeast Asia, and field crops in Africa to verify the effects of application of organic wastes such as household waste, woody waste, and sewage sludge on soil properties, crop yield, and environmental restoration in degraded land.

In the field experiment of 2-1, we will examine the input of organic waste to arable soil, its decomposition process, and the mineralization process, which becomes a form that can be absorbed by plants, focusing on the physical, biological, and chemical properties of the soil as well as weather conditions. We will also measure the CO2 flux on the soil surface to determine the CO2 emission/sequestration effects of organic waste input and revegetation, as well as the carbon sequestration in the soil, to elucidate the effects of greenhouse gas control.

The health risks associated with the agricultural use of organic wastes are being addressed by developing a simple inspection system using EDX (X-ray fluorescence spectrometer), removal and dilution techniques for hazardous substances, and the use of organic wastes in agricultural applications. The project aims to eliminate health risks and improve the acceptability of organic wastes for agricultural use by developing a simple inspection system using EDX (X-ray fluorescence analyzer) and technologies for removal and dilution of hazardous substances.

Establish a dry composting technology that can process kitchen garbage and return nutrients to the soil using materials available in the surrounding area and a simple method. Developing technology to promote quick decomposition without producing odors. With the cooperation of the Westin Hotel Kyoto, we are continuing to process organic waste and monitor nutrients and bacteria.

This dry composting system can efficiently decompose organic waste by using animal dung, including chicken manure. We have received animal droppings from nine species kept at the Kyoto City Zoo, including Asian elephants, zebras, giraffes, tigers, chimpanzees, gorillas, and mandrills, and are observing how the animal droppings and organic waste are processed. In the future, they aim to develop a compost product using animal manure.

Based on an agreement between RIHN and the Kyoto Prefectural Board of Education, RIHN provides integrated learning (exploration) classes at elementary schools in Kyoto Prefecture.

The Republic of Niger is located in the Sahel region on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert. In the Sahel region, the population growth has increased the amount of land under cultivation and the number of livestock, which has caused the topsoil to be washed away, resulting in a poor of the land. When the wind blows, the soil on the ground surface is blown away, and when it rains, the soil is washed away. Thus, hard bedrock is exposed, and the land becomes cannot glow plants.
Since 2003, project leader Oyama Shuichi (Research Institute for Humanity and Nature) has been working on the greening of degraded land in Niger, using organic waste. In 2021, the institute has started a JICA Grassroots Technical Cooperation Project.
Niamey, the capital of Niger, has a serious urban waste problem due to rapid population growth, and 1,000 tons of waste is generated every day. Almost all of this is household waste, 80% of which is sand and organic matter. Sand is blown by seasonal winds and enters the house. Organic matter includes leaves and branches from pruning trees growing on the property, leftover food and manure from livestock (sheep and goats), straw used for bedding, and food scraps such as vegetable scraps. All of these contain nutrients necessary for plant growth.
When urban waste is sown in rural areas where desertification is progressing, the waste catches the sand blown away by strong winds, and the nutrients and biological activity of the waste help plants to grow, thereby promoting the greening of the wasteland. In addition, the project is promoting the use of grassland created from garbage as pastureland for pastoralists in Fulbe and Tuareg, enriching the land by dropping livestock droppings, and growing trees and crops.
This project is attempting to improve the waste problem and increase food production in rural areas by using natural processes and respecting the needs and values of the local people, while using as little energy and materials as possible. The project also aims to prevent conflicts over land between farmers and pastoralists and create a peaceful society.

The Republic of Zambia is a landlocked country located in south-central Africa, with a population of approximately 3.08 million people in Lusaka, the capital city, in 2022, and growing at a rate of 2.9% per year.
Since the 1980s, Zambia's government has provided a cheap supply of chemical fertilizers, which farmers have used to grow maize. Years of chemical fertilizer inputs and continuous cultivation of maize have resulted in a wide distribution of difficult-to-cultivate farmland in the country. In addition, natural miombo forests have been devastated by the extraction of firewood and charcoal, and their conservation and rehabilitation is also an urgent issue.
Since maize is used by removing the seed coat, a large amount of seed coat is discharged as organic waste. There are also large amounts of residues from the production of beer and brewing liquor. We are planned to be used for pig farming.
Zambia has a large population, not only in the capital city of Lusaka, but also in the cities of Ndola and Kitwe in the Copperbelt Province (copper-producing region). Food processors, supermarkets, restaurants, and hotels also produce large amounts of waste. We are planning to conduct an experiment to produce soil conditioners for degraded land by using food waste from these cities and poop from pig farming.

This project aims to address environmental issues in our daily lives. As a concrete way to do this, we are addressing the issue of organic waste. In Japan, we focus on the reduction of food waste, and in Africa and Southeast Asia, we focus on environmental restoration and natural regeneration using food waste.
In order to make our research and social contribution experiences known to the public, we hold events at the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, give lectures in various locations, hold environmental festivals and exhibitions at universities, give talks at high schools and elementary schools, and give talks at film festivals. At various events, we display the actual compost that we are developing.