Toru Seki has a strong interest in rural livelihoods and sustainable development. This has led to several interesting projects, including an internship with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), on a research project aiming to enhance food security and farmers’ livelihoods in Ethiopia through appropriate technology and access to market information.

During his fellowship with Bioversity International, Toru assessed the impacts of a recent project that took place in the region of Kitui in Kenya. The project was organized by Bioversity, and aimed to address the link between agricultural biodiversity, dietary diversity and nutrition; through a series of activities such as distributing seeds to farmers, raising awareness on vegetables and traditional foods, and educating households on dietary diversity and nutrition. Toru’s investigation was to explore to what extent farmers and communities had taken up nutritional advice, and why they had or had not adopted or exchanged disseminated seeds. With the help of a small local team (which included students from local Kenyan universities), Toru carried out field observations, surveys and interviews with farmers, households and vendors in local markets. By understanding the effectiveness of the project, Toru’s research will help improve future initiatives carried out by Bioversity and its partners.

Toru is currently a Masters’ student in the Rural and Regional Development Management Program at the Graduate School of International Development in Nagoya University, Japan. In the future, he hopes to work as a consultant in sustainable rural and regional development.