SEARCA in the News

THE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) based in Los Baños provided insights and fostered a healthy discussion on rice policy innovation at a recent International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) training workshop. Addressing critical issues related to food security, food self-sufficiency and the challenges of agricultural pricing policies, the training workshop in September reviewed various policy approaches, assessing their strengths and weaknesses, and examined the role of agriculture in poverty reduction and combating malnutrition. It was participated by 23 researchers and policy influencers from IRRI, Caraga State University, the Department of Agriculture (DA), DA-Philippine… Read more

COCONUT farmers and farmer associations and cooperatives in Quezon province recently participated in a series of training spearheaded by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist of Quezon in partnership with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio said the series of trainings under the project titled "Development of Coconut Industry Growth Areas in the Province of Quezon" was participated by four municipalities in the province on September 18 to 20. Gregorio said the training series were designed to equip individual farmers and farmer associations or cooperatives on high-value crops and… Read more

THE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) recently brought the "Sowing Seeds: Cultivating Youth's Future in Agriculture" program to Thailand in partnership with the Kasetsart University Faculty of Agriculture (KUFA) and Patumwan Demonstration School (PDS). According to SEARCA director Glenn Gregorio, PhD, the program led by the center's Young Forces for Agricultural Innovation (#Y4AGRI) "introduces young people to the diverse and exciting career opportunities available in the agriculture sector." Held at the PDS in Bangkok, the inaugural offering of "Sowing Seeds" was participated by 20 high school students with Sirichan Daomanee, PDS English Program… Read more

THE Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) celebrated 35 years of partnership in advancing global agricultural education during its 37th Executive Board Meeting on Sept. 23 and 24, 2024. The UC executive board meeting was hosted by the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), which marked UC's 35th anniversary, commemorating three-and-a-half decades of collaborative leadership in advancing agricultural and natural resources education across Southeast Asia and beyond. Attending the meeting were representatives from regular member institutions, including Kasetsart University (KU) and Maejo University from Thailand; Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), IPB University and… Read more

A CONTINUING dialogue with Southeast Asian youth, engaging them through conversation in various platforms, is vital to promoting environmental conservation efforts throughout the region. Ways on how to mainstream the involvement of young people were also discussed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Asia's Youth Leaders Forum, an initiative introduced during the 8th Regional Conservation Forum (RCF 2024) held in September in Bangkok, Thailand. Representing the Philippines was the Laguna-based Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). Aligned with fostering intergenerational dialogues and collaboration, the forum's panel "emphasized the need for meaningful… Read more

THE Laguna-based Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and New Zealand are exploring potential collaboration on climate-smart agriculture. New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines Catherine McIntosh visited the SEARCA headquarters on September 12, with discussions focused on revisiting potential joint initiatives with the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Center (NZAGRC) on climate-smart agriculture. SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio said this was previously discussed with officials of the New Zealand Embassy in Manila in Los Baños, Laguna, on August 27. Known for its efficient production of dairy, beef and sheep, New Zealand's agriculture sector is… Read more

THE University of San Carlos (USC) in Cebu and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) shared the spotlight in a winning video featuring an innovative approach to tackling plastic pollution by creating biodegradable bioplastics from shrimp shells and mango waste. USC's entry, "Unusually sustainable — bioplastics from shrimp shells plus mango waste," premiered at the Curious2024 Future Insight Conference in Mainz, Germany, where the 2,000-strong conference crowd voted for their favorite. The video was among the top 10 entries in the global Nature Awards for the Science in Shorts filmmaking competition premiering at… Read more

THE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and SciDev.Net have forged a five-year agreement to advance science communication for agriculture development. SciDev.Net is the world's leading source of reliable and authoritative news, views and analysis on science and technology for global development. CAB International is the parent organization of SciDev.Net. Signatories to the agreement are SEARCA Center Director Glenn Gregorio and SciDev.Net managing editor Ben Deighton with Joselito Florendo, SEARCA deputy director for administration, and Joel Adriano, SciDev.Net regional coordinator, as witnesses. Gregorio said on Monday that the partnership aims to strengthen science and… Read more

Their bioplastics project made from shrimp shells and mango waste landed the University of San Carlos (USC) and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in the global spotlight. A video featuring the SEARCA Grants for Research toward Agricultural Innovative Solutions (GRAINS)-funded project of Cebu City-based USC was named one of the Top 10 entries in the prestigious Nature Awards for the Science in Shorts filmmaking competition. This recognition shines a spotlight on groundbreaking work in sustainable agriculture, with the SEARCA x USC entry competing against 250 global submissions. The winning video, titled "Unusually… Read more

AGRICULTURE, animal production and forestry are vital to the creation of a circular economy, and new methods and approaches to these industries must be explored to promote sustainability. This was the consensus reached in the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC) 9th Graduate Forum held at the Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. A diverse and multidisciplinary group of experts and scholars from the Philippines and other countries in Southeast Asia attended to discuss the essence of the circular economy and its relevance across various sectors. Other topics addressed the challenges and… Read more