SEARCA in the News

THE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has announced the opening of a photo contest that focuses on innovations and solutions to the challenges faced by a Southeast Asian farmer. SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio said the 8th Annual Photo Contest, anchored on the theme "The Future of Farming: Pathways to Carbon-Neutral Agriculture," aims to find the best images most relevant to the theme besides its technical quality and impact. "SEARCA is looking for creative images that depict the innovations and solutions to the many issues and problems being faced by a Southeast Asian farmer… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has opened its 18th annual photo contest and invites photographers across Southeast Asia to capture compelling images related to the theme "The Future of Farming: Pathways to Carbon-Neutral Agriculture." This year's photo tilt edition of the competition seeks photographs that showcase innovative and sustainable agricultural practices in the Southeast Asia. "SEARCA is looking for impactful images that demonstrate practical solutions to the challenges faced by farmers in Southeast Asia while promoting environmental responsibility and sustainable farming methods," said SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn Gregorio. The contest is open… Read more

THE Philippine government-hosted Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is assessing gardens and the utilization of their produce in selected schools in Palawan. Titled "Assessment and Utilization of School Garden Produce through a Cooking Contest/Recipe Development and Monitoring and Evaluation Activities of School Gardens," this SEARCA initiative is part of the School-plus-Home Gardens cum Biodiversity Enhancement and Enterprise or SHGBEE in Coron and Busuanga, Palawan. According to SEARCA, the initiative, designed to improve the nutritional status of children, integrates fresh produce from school gardens into the school-based feeding program of the Department of Education… Read more

NINE distinguished biotechnology experts, including a former Science and Technology secretary, were honored during the ninth Filipino Faces of Biotechnology Awards on December 5 at the Philippine International Convention Center. The honorees—former Department of Science and Technology (DOST) secretary and Academician Dr. Estrella Alabastro, biologist/entrepreneur Ma. Antonia Odelia Arroyo, Dr. Edward Barlaan, entomologist Dr. Emiliana Bernardo, Dr. Antonio Laurena, Academician Dr. Eufemio Rasco Jr., Dr. Edison Riñen, Prof. Edgardo Tulin and researcher Lilian Villamor—are celebrated for their outstanding contributions to the different aspects of biotechnology in the Philippines. In his message, Department of Agriculture Biotech Program Director Paul C. Limson… Read more

MORE than 120 attendees took part in the joint international conference of the Center of Excellence on Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Nutrition (CE SAIN) and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) to discuss issues related to sustainable agri-biodiversity and food security. According to SEARCA, the Joint International Conference 2024 is the Fourth International Conference on Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Nutrition (#SAIN4) and the Third School-plus-Home Gardens cum Biodiversity Enhancement Enterprise (SHGBEE3) Conference held on Nov. 19-22 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Anchored on the theme "Harnessing synergies of sustainable agriculture and biodiversity toward food… Read more

CALLING on farming sectors to escalate their efforts in mitigating global warming's impact, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) promoted climate-mitigation agricultural initiatives during the Regional Agricultural and Fishery Council's (RAFC) Sectoral Committee Meeting on Rice and Other Staples, and Youth in Agriculture and Fisheries at the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 4 (DA-RFO4) in Lipa City, Batangas. With the meeting serving as a consultative platform for monitoring and evaluating the progress of agricultural programs and activities, the RAFC and the DA can discuss challenges, identify opportunities and formulate resolutions and policy… Read more

THE 3rd International Conference on Rice for the Future 2024 discussed an array of topics, one of which was the solutions to salinity challenges by Glenn Gregorio, Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) director. The event was organized by the Thailand Rice Science Research Hub of Knowledge, Rice Science Center, Kasetsart University, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, and National Science and Technology Development Agency. Held in Nonthaburi, Thailand, on Nov. 14 to 15, the event brought together over 200 leading rice scientists, researchers and students. In his presentation, Gregorio discussed the challenges… Read more

The recent conference hosted by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), underscored the critical role of community engagement and inter-sectoral collaboration in achieving food security and sustainable agricultural development. Held under the theme, "Agricultural Development for Food Security: Addressing Challenges to Technological Transformation, Sustainability, and Good Governance", the conference gathered experts to explore strategies that can address pressing challenges in agriculture. The event featured two parallel afternoon sessions, each focusing on… Read more

ADVISORY: The AJAD 20th Anniversary Seminar Series has been postponed indefinitely. The Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD) will celebrate its 20th year with a seminar series by authors of its anniversary issue. AJAD is a peer-reviewed journal that Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) publishes twice a year with original research and review articles, and policy briefs on a wide range of topics related to agriculture and rural development in Southeast Asia. Themed "Asian Agriculture and Development in a Dynamic and Volatile Landscape of Demands, Peoples, and Risks," AJAD's 20th anniversary issue… Read more

Deadline: January 15, 2025 Applications are open for the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Photo Contest 2024. The theme, "The Future of Farming: Pathways to Carbon-Neutral Agriculture," of the 18th Photo Contest of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), is timely as agriculture face many challenges. By 2050, the world will need to produce 70 percent more food and the demand is continuously growing as the population races toward 10 billion in 2050, says a UN report. Worldwide, around 800 million people suffer from hunger. And… Read more