SEARCA Consortium for Agricultural Development, Research and Extension (CADRE)

Members and partners will design and conduct collaborative research studies on areas of prioritized common interest and shall provide counterpart funding. Initially, SEARCA will provide counterpart funds through its Seed Fund for Research and Training (SFRT). Members will also be invited to form consortia for project proposals to be developed and submitted for external funding, depending on their areas of expertise.

Expected Output: Knowledge and technologies captured in different forms (tools, reports, etc.) from the relevant, high-impact research studies SEARCA is actively part of.

Aspirational Outcome: Research outputs that lead to the transformation of parts of the agricultural food system or transformation of entire sub-systems in farming.

The availability of enabling policies strongly influences the successful implementation of development programs. Policy analyses/studies will be conducted under this component, and policy papers/briefs will be produced to provide recommendations and proposed courses of action to address critical challenges in the sector. Knowledge-sharing events such as policy roundtables, conferences, and fora under CADRE will also be conceptualized and implemented/organized under this component with proceedings/reports to document the results of the discussions.

An Annual CADRE Forum will be organized every 2nd quarter of the year (April-June) to create a venue to a) assess the progress of ongoing research and b) identify and discuss key and emerging issues concerning the region's agriculture sector that need immediate action or support.

Each Southeast Asian country will be given the opportunity to host the Forum, and this will be decided upon by the CADRE Board. The results of the discussion will be used as the basis for identifying the research theme and activities that CADRE will implement in the succeeding fiscal year. By the fourth year of each five-year plan (FYP), an analysis of all the research and activities conducted by CADRE will serve as input to the development of SEARCA's succeeding FYP. It will also be the basis for CADRE's next regional program.

Expected Output: Timely, evidence-based policy recommendations for consideration by the governments of Southeast Asia to address critical issues and challenges in the region's agriculture sector.

Aspirational Outcome: Policy changes and consequent action to improve the agricultural food system in SEA.

Technical assistance and capacity-building activities will be provided to members, partners, and relevant stakeholders as a form of human capital development and extension service. These would initially involve the following:

• Travel Grants. Through the SEARCA Travel Grants Program (STGP), researchers from the member and partner institutions will be awarded the grant to present their research conducted under CADRE on SEARCA-initiated or other external events to disseminate its results.
• Staff Exchanges and Mentorship Program. Members will be encouraged to implement staff exchanges for research and capacity-building purposes. SEARCA will also allow member institutions to send selected staff to the Center at their own expense. Visiting research fellows and adjunct fellows can also serve as their mentors, subject to their availability and acceptance.
• Trainings, Seminars, Workshops. These will be conducted as needed or as requested by the members and partners.

Expected Output: Relevant staff from AMS trained in key areas and institutions strengthened to participate in research, development, and extension.

Aspirational Outcome: Strengthened institutional and technical capacities of its members, partners, and stakeholders that would enable them to fully adjust to the sector's transformation.

All research results and events documentation will be disseminated through this component. A database of relevant statistical data will also be built, beginning with data on priority agricultural commodities and other socio-economic indicators. Regular bulletins will be produced to report the updates on CADRE's initiatives. This component will also create and manage a dedicated webpage and social media accounts. A Community of Practice (COP) will be formed under CADRE to facilitate discussions on relevant agricultural issues in the region.

Expected Output: Increased access and availability of information/data that would support research activities and policy development.

Aspirational Outcome: Increased awareness and knowledge of its members, partners, and stakeholders on the most pressing issues and challenges faced by the agriculture sector.

CADRE will ensure that all agriculture sector stakeholders from the academe, industry, and government will be represented, as well as those from non-governmental, research, farmers, and civil society organizations, directly or indirectly. It will also not be limited to Southeast Asian institutions as it will eventually seek to expand outside the region for a more holistic approach to development. Through a wide range of partnerships and linkages, CADRE will strive to create a network of agricultural experts working together to support the sector's transformation towards sustainable and inclusive development.

Expected Output: Stronger partnerships and linkages among the academe-industry-government and other relevant organizations to achieve agricultural development.

Anticipated Outcome: Stronger and more impactful collaborative research and development in SEA.