TOMODACHI Tanaka Sangyo Agricultural Exchange Initiative: Climate and Food System Awareness Program Kicks Off
The first online session for the TOMODACHI Tanaka Sangyo Agricultural Exchange Initiative: Climate and Food System Awareness Program was held as an orientation on October 6, 2024 (JST). This program focuses on the global challenges of climate change and agriculture, fostering leadership development through exchanges between university students from Niigata Prefecture, Japan, and Texas, USA. Twenty students, ten from each region, met for the first time during this session. While some initial nervousness was evident, the breakout sessions provided a valuable opportunity for lively discussions and exchanging ideas.
The session concluded with remarks from Mr. Akihiko Tanaka, Managing Director of Tanaka Sangyo Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture; President and CEO: Yasuo Tanaka), the program’s sponsoring company. Mr. Tanaka shared his passion for rice farming, explaining that Tanaka Sangyo has been involved in construction and transportation but began engaging in agriculture about 30 years ago to protect Niigata’s primary industry. “While there are many challenges in running a farming business, eating is directly connected to living.” Therefore, Mr. Tanaka encouraged the participants to deepen their understanding of each other’s agricultural practices and climate change and hoped that students from Galveston, Texas, and Niigata—sister cities for nearly 60 years—would foster friendships and strive together toward a bright future.
In addition to this online session, the program includes two in-person exchanges: one in Texas in March 2025 and another in Niigata in August 2025. Workshops will focus on the diverse agricultural ecosystems of both regions and explore SDGs related to agriculture and climate change. Participants will learn about traditional, nature-harmonious farming methods in Niigata, which is known for its lush green landscapes and rice cultivation. In Texas, they will experience large-scale agriculture and automation technologies, learning about advanced agricultural solutions relevant to the future of Japanese agriculture. Makoto Koide, a second-year student in the Department of Biological Resources Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Niigata University, and a program participant, shared his aspirations: “Through this program, I hope to gain international, practical experience related to the SDGs and develop leadership skills for the future.” Over the next ten months, participating students will explore innovative strategies to address the intersection of climate change and agriculture, cultivating the confidence and global perspectives necessary to become the next generation of leaders in a rapidly changing world.
