Online Symposium "The Future of ‘Food’ - Dialogue between Germany and Japan"

KOHSAKA Ryo

Professor; Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan

Born in Shizuoka Prefecture. He graduated from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Agriculture and received his doctorate from the Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Freiburg, Germany. After working at the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe in Hungary, he joined the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Montreal, Canada, in 2006, and served as an advisor to the Executive Committee of COP10 held in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, from 2008 to 2010.

He is Associate Members in Environmental Studies of Science Council of Japan. Prof. Kohsaka is also involved as a government delegate and expert for the CBD and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). He is also appointed as an expert and official government delegate to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee (TC) 331 - Biodiversity and TC 266 - Biomimetics.

HAYASHI Hiroaki

Chairman, The Kunisaki Peninsula Usa GIAHS Promotion Association

Born in Kunisaki City, Oita Prefecture, to a shiitake mushroom farmer. Graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Tokyo. In 1985, he was hired in the Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer Science at the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Tokyo, and from 1995 to 2003, he served as an associate professor. At the age of 43, he resigned from university and started farming (dried shiitake mushrooms and rice) at his home in Kunisaki Peninsula in 2004.

‘Hoda-ba’ (location where dried shiitake mushrooms are grown)

Since 2012, he has participated in activities to apply for the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) for the Kunisaki Peninsula and Usa, and after receiving recognition by FAO in 2013, he worked toward the conservation of the region as the chairperson of The Kunisaki Peninsula Usa GIAHS Promotion Association. He also deepens exchange activities with researchers as a visiting professor at Beppu University and Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, participates in educational activities as a member of the Oita Prefectural Board of Education, and takes part in research activities as a research advisor at the Oita Prefectural Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research Center.

Photo by KOUTA Kazuhisa

MATSUYAMA Mari

Brand Editor, Oisix ra daichi, Inc.

Graduated from Keio University, Faculty of Policy Management. At Oisix ra daichi, Inc., she is engaged in developing the RadishBoya brand. She has been involved in planning and editing the quarterly magazine "OHANASHI Salad," which connects producers and consumers, as well as copywriting and content editing for the brand's website to communicate its sustainable initiatives.

In recent years, she has launched and branded the food loss reduction project "FUZOROI Radish" and the circular economy promotion project "GURUGURU Radish." She is also involved in the development of products that enjoy the individuality of ingredients, such as "FUZOROI Pearl" and "FUZOROI Chirimentsu," in cooperation with production area. She was a finalist for the Japan Sustainable Seafood Award 2021 for "FUZOROI Radish." In 2022 "GURUGURU Radish" won the "Circular Design without Throwing Away" award at the crQlr Awards 2022, a global award for designing a circular economy.