The forum will serve as a venue to discuss ISARD-related challenges and issues in the region with emphasis on the overarching themes of social inclusion, sustainability, institutions and governance, and regional/sub-regional integration. Based on a synthesis of lessons learned and experiences, as well as analysis of empirical evidence, the forum aims to provide recommendations that could guide further directions, policies, and initiatives of various stakeholders of the agriculture and rural sectors in the region. A book of the same title will likewise be launched during the forum.
The book is authored by Dr. Cielito F. Habito, Dr. Larry C.Y. Wong, Dr. Lourdes S. Adriano, Dr. Nipon Poapongsakorn, Dr. Yeong Sheng Tey, Dr. Jonna P. Estudillo, Dr. Keijiro Otsuka, Dr. Percy E. Sajise, and Dr. Doris Capistrano. The book editors are Dr. Habito, Dr. Capistrano, and SEARCA Director Dr. Gil C. Saguiguit, Jr. The authors will serve as resource speakers in the forum and Dr. Habito, who is lead editor, will serve as the forum’s Technical Coordinator.
The policy roundtable, on the other hand, will examine rice policies across the region to draw inputs for policy recommendations. It aims to understand knowledge gaps, and where appropriate, list activities that could be undertaken at the national and regional levels, and to craft possible policy inputs to be presented to governments.
The roundtable discussion will feature country paper presentations from both rice-importing and -exporting countries in Southeast Asia. Different stakeholders from policymaking institutions, private sector, civil society organizations, academe and research organizations, and donor communities will participate in the workshop to share their perspectives on the subject matter. Dr. Roehlano M. Briones, Research Fellow of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, is the event’s Technical Coordinator. (Maria Katrina R. Punto)
