Masatoshi Funabashi

The Synecoulture project started at Sony CSL in 2010, as a new method of food production based on open system science, and principally conducted a demonstration experiment of synecological farming mainly in Japan and the Sahel region of Africa.
We have shown that by utilizing biodiversity on an order of magnitude larger than before, it is possible to produce crops that restore the healthy functions of ecosystems and human well-being.
From 2018, we applied these principles for human living areas and urban spaces and started demonstration experiments of "augmented ecosystems" that enhance various ecosystem services according to comprehensive purposes beyond food production.
Throughout the process, the Metadiversity Management System as a supportive ICT has been developing, which helps enhance the diversity of ecosystems while extracting multiple utilities, and the concept of natural-social common capital has been synthesized, which incorporates the process of reproduction of natural resources by augmented ecosystems into economic activities.
In terms of both research and social implementation, we will cooperate with collaborators from various fields to build a new relationship between civilization and nature, as a comprehensive cultural sphere called Synecoculture.