The Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD), the internationally peer-reviewed scientific journal of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), will mark its 20th anniversary with critical insights on food security and resilience in a volatile agricultural landscape at a seminar to be held on 3 February 2025, 9:30 a.m., at the SEARCA Umali Auditorium and livestreamed via Zoom and Facebook.
Dubbed AJAD@20, the event will feature a seminar showcasing the special 20th anniversary issue titled "Asian Agriculture and Development in a Dynamic and Volatile Landscape of Demands, Peoples, and Risks."
A distinguished lineup of national, regional, and international leaders in agricultural and rural development will gather for the celebration. SEARCA Center Director Dr. Glenn Gregorio will welcome guests, including three of his predecessors, top academicians, scientific authors, and experts from the Los Baños science community.
Notably, Dr. Arsenio Balisacan, Secretary of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and former SEARCA Center Director, will provide a historical perspective on AJAD, having played a pivotal role in its inception. AJAD Editor Dr. Cielito Habito, former NEDA Director General and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary, will officially launch the AJAD Vol. 21 20th Anniversary Issue.
Highlighting the event are two paper presentations that offer critical insights into the evolving agricultural landscape. Dr. Peter Timmer, Thomas D. Cabot Professor of Development Studies, Emeritus at Harvard University, will present his retrospective essay titled "How I Learned to Stabilize Rice Prices and Why." The discussion will be further enriched by reactors Dr. Bruce Tolentino, SEARCA Senior Fellow and Former Monetary Board Member of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and Dr. Samarendu Mohanty, Vice President of The Rice Trader.
Dr. Alfredo Mahar Francisco Lagmay, Executive Director of the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute, will discuss "An Impact-Based Flood Forecasting System for Citizen Empowerment," which underscores the vital role of science-driven solutions in mitigating climate-related risks.
The event is open to the public. To join the discourse via Zoom, register at bit.ly/48SOLVE.