The book puts together the best minds to synthesize the wealth of knowledge articulated and exchanged during the Second International Conference on Agricultural and Rural Development in Southeast Asia with the theme Strengthening Resilience, Equity, and Integration in ASEAN Food and Agriculture Systems, held by SEARCA and partners on 12-13 November 2014 at Makati City, Manila, Philippines. Also called the ARD Book, the publication, which SEARCA hopes to launch on its 50th Anniversary in November 2016, aims to guide various shareholders on the appropriate actions needed to be addressed in the agriculture and rural development of Southeast Asia. Reflecting SEARCA’s 10th Five-Year Plan which focuses on Inclusive and Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development (ISARD), the ARD Book will have four chapters to highlight themes of Social Inclusion, Sustainability, Institutions and Governance, and Regional Integration.
Dr. Cielito F. Habito, SEARCA Fellow, Professor of Economics at Ateneo de Manila University, serves as Lead Editor and Technical Coordinator of the book. The other authors who participated in the workshop include Dr. Ana Doris N. Capistrano, SEARCA Fellow and Regional Advisor to ASEAN-Swiss Partnership on Social Forestry and Climate Change; Dr. Larry Chee-Yoong Wong, Program Director of Technology, Innovation, Environment and Sustainabiliy (TIES), Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia; Dr. Lourdes S. Adriano, Former Lead Agriculture Specialist of Asian Development Bank; and Dr. Tey (John) Yeong-Cheng, Senior Research Officer of Universiti Putra Malaysia.
Dr. Percy E. Sajise, SEARCA Fellow and Honorary Research Fellow of Bioversity International and Dr. Keijiro Otsuka, Professor Emeritus and Dr. Jonna P. Estudillo, Professor of Development Economics, both from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Japan, joined the meeting via video conference. Dr. Vo Tong Xuan, the first DL Umali Achievement Award recipient and Rector Emeritus of An Giang University, Vietnam and Dr. William G. Padolina, SEARCA Fellow and President of the National Academy of Science and Technology were also present as external chapter reviewer and workshop guest reviewer, respectively.
Dr. Bessie M. Burgos, Program Head; Ms. Carmen Nyhria G. Rogel, Program Specialist; Ms. Millicent Joyce Q. Pangilinan, Project Associate; and Ms. Maria Katrina R. Punto, Research Assistant from SEARCA’s Research and Development Department, provided administrative support and research assistance for the materials used during the Workshop. (Milli Pangilinan)