SEARCA News

VIENTIANE, LAO PDR. The Department of Forestry (DoF) of Lao PDR developed a proposal to improve the guidelines on and harmonize approaches to village forest (VF) and non-timber forest product (NTFP) management during the pilot testing of the Project Development Toolkit from 26 to 28 September 2017. The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA)-ASEAN Working Group on Social Forestry (AWG-SF) Strategic Response Fund [ASRF] program management unit developed the toolkit to assist ASEAN Member States (AMS) in developing strategic proposals that respond to emerging issues on food insecurity, poverty, and climate change. … Read more

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), commissioned by the Philippine Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR), successfully launched the Orientation and 1st Face-to-Face Session under the Information and Knowledge Management (IKM) Mentorship Program: Communicating Agriculture and Fisheries Research for Inclusive and Sustainable Development (CAFRISD) on 12-15 September 2017 at SEARCA’s headquarters here. … Read more

Forty-five SEARCA Scholars based in the Philippines enjoyed a day of fellowship and recreation through their team building activity on 17 September 2017 at Caliraya Resort Club in Lumban, Laguna. … Read more

QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES. The Forest Management Bureau (FMB) under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of the Philippines presented a proposal to document Benefit-Sharing Mechanisms of Community-based Forest Management (CBFM)-People's Organizations (POs) during a meeting on 15 September 2017. The ASEAN Working Group on Social Forestry (AWG-SF) Strategic Response Fund [ASRF] being managed by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is designed to provide Leaders and Focal Points on social forestry of the ASEAN Member States (AMS) with seed fund to enable them to respond to immediate needs or catalyze strategic… Read more

CHIANG MAI, Thailand. Raising awareness on the importance of agricultural biodiversity or agrobiodiversity to sustainable development and food security is a basic concern that was raised in the recently concluded Regional Workshop on Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Agriculture for Sustainable Development and Food Security in Southeast Asia held at Maejo University, Chiang Mai, Thailand on 12-14 September 2017. … Read more

INGHAM, Queensland, Australia – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Asia Pacific Rural Advisory Services (APIRAS), convened a Regional Networking Conference on 8 September 2017 at the Tyto Conference Center here. The conference is part of the project titled "Supporting Smallholder Farmers in Asia and Pacific-Islands Region through Strengthened Agricultural Advisory Services (SAAS)." … Read more

Officials of Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) led by Mr. Andrew Hsein Chang Lee, Director-General of the Ministry's Public Diplomacy Coordination Council (tenth from left), visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) at its headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna as part of its efforts to promote bilateral exchanges and cooperation in agriculture between Taiwan and the Philippines. … Read more

SEARCA conducted a Short Course on Cropping Systems Models and its Application for Climate Impact Assessment at the SEARCA Headquarters, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. The entry-level course, which ran from 4-8 September 2017, described a practical approach for simulating crop production using the empirical and dynamical approach. … Read more

Three managers and an officer of the SEAMEO Regional Centre for Food and Nutrition (RECFON) based in Jakarta, Indonesia visited SEARCA on 23-25 August 2017 as part of the SEAMEO Staff Exchange Program.  The delegation included Dr. Dwi Nastiti Iswarawanti, Manager for Training; Ms. Kusyanti Febriani Hapsari, Manager for Finance of Accounting; Mr. Mochammad Perbowo, Manager for Human Resources and General Affairs; and Ms. Evi Ermayani, Partnership Officer. … Read more

BOGOR, Indonesia – A working committee for the Southeast Asia Rural Advisory Services (SEARAS) Network was formed during the regional meeting on rural advisory services on 26 August 2017 at Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) here.  The meeting was attended by representatives from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and international organizations, which include the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), SEARCA, SEAMEO Regional Center for Tropical Biology (BIOTROP), World Agroforestry Centre, ASEAN Working Group for Agricultural Training and Education (AWGATE), Higher Education for Sustainable Agriculture (HESA), and Food Systems in Southeast Asia Project. … Read more