A research article on Synecoculture and Augmented Ecosystems has been published.
Research Article from NpJ Sustainable Agriculture
Presentation at ICONREM2026
Shuntaro Aotake presented the following paper at the 4th International Conference on Resilience, Multi-risk, and Structural Monitoring (ICONREM2026), which was held in Florence, Italy, from June 16 to 19.
Shuntaro Aotake and Masatoshi Funabashi, “Thermal Regulation Capacity of Augmented Ecosystems under Extreme Heat: UAV-Based Surface Temperature Analysis for Climate-Resilient Urban Design”
China’s First Synecoculture Tea Product Launches: A New Step Toward Biodiversity-Driven Agriculture
A major milestone has been reached in the global development of Synecoculture. On June 17, 2026, Sony China announced the launch of the world’s first commercial tea product cultivated under Synecoculture principles, marking a significant step in bringing biodiversity-centered agriculture from research into real-world markets.
The new tea product is the result of a collaborative effort among Sony China, Sony Computer Science Laboratories, and SynecO. It was cultivated in Lu’an, one of China’s renowned tea-producing regions, and represents the first commercial realization of years of research, field demonstrations, and ecosystem-based agricultural innovation.
The launch also reflects Sony China’s long-term commitment to sustainability. Over the past several years, Sony China has promoted Synecoculture through educational activities, demonstration farms, and internal biodiversity initiatives, helping to build awareness of ecosystem restoration and regenerative food systems throughout China.
For More Information
- Sony CSL News: China’s First Synecoculture Tea Product Launch
https://www.sonycsl.co.jp/en/news-articles/2026/06/18/26481/ - Sony CSL – Synecoculture and Augmented Ecosystems
https://www.sonycsl.co.jp/en/projects/synecoculture-and-augmented-ecosystems/ - Sony Sustainability – Synecoculture Initiative
https://www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/csr/SonyEnvironment/synecoculture.html - SynecO, Inc.
https://syneco.inc/
Open Session at the University of Helsinki: Emerging Opportunities in Urban Food Systems – Synecoculture, Biodiversity and Circularity
Masatoshi Funabashi visited the University of Helsinki and its Viikki Campus to exchange ideas and explore future opportunities in sustainable food systems, biodiversity, circularity, and digital agriculture.
The visit concluded with an open session entitled “Emerging Opportunities in Urban Food Systems – Synecoculture, Biodiversity and Circularity,” attended by researchers, professors, students, and university leaders. The session featured presentations and dialogue among Masatoshi Funabashi, Laura Forsman, Lead of the Viikki Food Design Factory, and Johan Jorgensen, founder of Sweden Foodtech, exploring how biodiversity-rich agricultural systems and augmented ecosystems can contribute to resilient and regenerative urban food systems.
Flat Earth Food Published: A Copernican Shift in How We Grow, Eat and Heal
We are pleased to share that Flat Earth Food: A Copernican Shift in How We Grow, Eat and Heal, the new book by Johan Jörgensen, has been published.
Drawing on insights from ecology, soil science, nutrition, immunology, economics, and systems thinking, Flat Earth Food argues that many of today’s most pressing challenges—from chronic disease and biodiversity loss to environmental degradation and economic inequality—are not separate problems, but interconnected manifestations of a deeper systemic imbalance.
The book challenges what Johan describes as a “Flat Earth” worldview: a tendency to simplify and separate phenomena that are, in reality, deeply connected. In its place, he proposes a more integrated understanding of food systems, health, ecosystems, and society, revealing how the relationships between them shape both human and planetary wellbeing.
Among the examples featured in the book is Synecoculture, a biodiversity-centered approach to agriculture that seeks to work with ecological complexity rather than reduce it. The book highlights how biodiversity, productivity, public health, and ecosystem health can be understood as mutually reinforcing dimensions of a single living system.
More broadly, Flat Earth Food invites readers to rethink the foundations of modern food systems and to explore what a truly regenerative and health-promoting future might look like.
For researchers, practitioners, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in the future of food, health, and sustainability, this book offers a compelling and thought-provoking perspective on one of the defining challenges of our time.
Learn more at: https://flatearthfood.com/
Presentation at ICT4AWE2026
Ryota Sakayama made an online presentation of the following paper at the 12th International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies for Ageing Well and e-Health (ICT4AWE2026), which was held at Benidorm, Spain, on 20-22 May 2026.
New article in Ecological Complexity
The following article has been published:
Highlights
- Introduces a novel “Atmosphere-Biomass-Soil (ABS) model” integrating carbon stock and flow via System Dynamics.
- ABS model enables comparative carbon offset analysis between monoculture and synecoculture.
- Synecoculture achieves net-negative carbon budgets across temperate and tropical zones.
- Proposes a theoretical sampling optimization framework reducing bias in ecosystem function assessments, including carbon credit evaluation.
- Provides a robust framework to evaluate carbon offsets from land-use conversion strategies.
Presentations at WCCS2026
Shinnosuke Yoshikawa and Shuntaro Aotake made the following presentations at the World Conference on Complex Systems 2026, which was held at UM6P in Benguerir, on 20-22 April 2026:
WCCS26 Parallel Session 3: Track 4 – Socio-Ecological and Environmental Systems
ソニー子ども科学教育プログラム 2025年度 教育実践論文 にて表彰
公益財団法人ソニー教育財団が主催する「ソニー子ども科学教育プログラム」2025年度 教育実践論文 の表彰に、「CurioStep 生態系をつくって、育てて、考えるシネコポータル・ワークショップ」に取り組んだ小学校が選出されました。
最優秀校の一つに選ばれた福島県の郡山市立明健小学校の論文には、一社シネコカルチャーより講師派遣した授業の取り組みが掲載されています。
また同様にシネコポータルを導入するオンライン授業を行った神奈川県の横浜市立立野小学校、福島県の福島市立三河台小学校も優秀賞を獲得しました。
UNEP-CTCN Synecoculture Implementation in North Cameroon
The United Nations Environment Programme – Climate Technology Centre and Network (UNEP-CTCN) has published a short video featuring the implementation of Synecoculture in Northern Cameroon:
Supported by UNEP-CTCN from August 2024 to October 2025, this project has made remarkable progress. It has engaged 200 producers, reached 480 local consumers, and trained 830 people in Synecoculture practices in the sensitive border area near Chad, transforming the infertile dry season into a productive period and empowering women.
Further details can be found here:
https://www.ctc-n.org/technical-assistance/projects/local-climate-resilience-through-synecoculture-high-yield
The project is led by Ms. Ruth Langsi, who previously participated in the African Synecoculture Symposia organized by CARFS and supported by Sony CSL, UniTwin UNESCO, and local governments. Building on these experiences, she founded the NGO Association Camerounaise pour la Promotion de la Synécoculture (ACPS) to continue supporting livelihoods and environmental regeneration in Central Africa:
https://acp-syneco.org/
Présentations de la Synécoculture à Paris
Masa Funabashi a présenté les projets de Synécoculture lors de plusieurs conférences à Paris.
・Conférence : « Synécoculture : l’agroécologie augmentée par les sciences de la complexité »
Conférence sur la Synécoculture avec Vergers Urbains:
