SEARCA News

To still catch the wave of the recently concluded United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) Independent Dialogue on Transforming Agri-food Systems hosted by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) together with CropLife Asia (CLA), SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio shared his life experiences as a farmer and his expertise in genetics and plant breeding in the sixth episode of the podcast entitled, “Asia’s Farm to Fork: Five Good Questions” aired on 9 July 2021 via Spotify. Led and hosted by Mr. Duke Hipp, Director for Public Affairs & Strategic Partnerships of CLA… Read more

Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Director and National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL) Academician, shared the impacts of COVID-19 in the Philippine food system and ways to move forward in the First Plenary Session on Food, Environment, and Health of the 43rd Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) organized by NAST PHL on 12-15 July 2021. An attached agency to the Philippine Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Academy launches ASM as an annual activity to serve as the leading forum for the presentation of scientific and policy… Read more

Dr. Khaswar Syamsu, University Professor at IPB University in Bogor, Indonesia, delivered his SEARCA Regional Professorial Chair public lecture about "Increased Bioethanol Production Directly from Sweet Sorghum Bagasse using Mold and Yeast" on 6 July 2021, via Zoom platform. Dr. Syamsu discussed the importance of alternative renewable energy sources, as well as its compliance with the Indonesian Government regulation regarding the provision of use of alternative energy. In his presentation, he mentioned that bioethanol as biofuel has a relatively high production cost than petroleum fuel. With his research, he studied and introduced the production techniques of bioethanol from sweet sorghum… Read more

The Asia-Pacific Climate Week (APCW) 2021 is a regional event that aims to showcase opportunities and ambitious solutions from different countries in Asia and the Pacific to climate challenges. Recognizing the critical role of climate finance as a catalyst for large-scale investments for climate adaptation and mitigation interventions, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) organized a side event on "Advancing Jurisdictional Sustainability Approach and its Potential for Climate Financing in Southeast Asia" during the APCW 2021. The side event held on 7 July 2021 via Zoom and Facebook is co-organized by Food and… Read more

Collaborations between farmers, institutions, mother-support and nutrition support groups; prioritization of breastfeeding as a vital part of the "First Food Systems" paradigm; and a proposal for policy makers to make a close inspection of the current food and agri systems were among the calls of the participants in the round table discussion, "First Things First… Prioritizing Breastfeeding in the First Food System" jointly organized by SEARCA and LATCH Los Baños (LATCH LB) on 29 June 2021 via Zoom. This event is also supported by Kalusugan ng Mag-Ina, Inc. (KMI) and Arugaan. "We at SEARCA, our priority areas like Food and… Read more

A virtual regional consultation workshop will be held on 7 July 2021, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (UCT+7), to formally kickstart the development process of the third volume and the accompanying implementation strategies of the ASEAN Guidelines for Promoting Climate Smart Agricultural (CSA) Practices. Co-organized by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), this event is hosted by the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) on behalf of the ASEAN-Climate Resilience Network (CRN) and supported by the Climate Smart Land Use in ASEAN Project of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). The… Read more

Sustainable, creative, and well-thought-of edible landscaping not just adds beauty to the environment, but also promotes food safety and increases awareness of the community toward healthy living—this sums up the message delivered by Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Director and the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Technical Panel for Agriculture Chair during the City Nursery Garden Launch of the Food Always In The Home (FAITH) Program of the City Government of Parañaque on 30 June 2021. In Dr. Gregorio’s message, he congratulated the city government led by Mayor Edwin L. Olivarez for the significant milestone… Read more

The Kingdom of Morocco has been admitted to the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), an intergovernmental organization founded in 1965 to promote cooperation in education, science, and culture among Southeast Asian nations. The Southeast Asian Regional Center Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is one of the oldest SEAMEO specialist institutions. The membership of the Kingdom of Morocco was approved at the virtual 51st SEAMEO Council Conference held on 17 June 2021, which was attended by H.E. Abdelilah El Housni, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar. The SEAMEO Council is composed… Read more

In its commitment to further elevate the interest of young people and engage in agricultural sciences, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research and Agriculture (SEARCA) in partnership with the University of the Philippines Rural High School (UPRHS) organized five (5) agricultural biotechnology-related sessions under the UPRHS “Youth in Agriculture Online Engagement Program”. The sessions were held every Saturday via Zoom and Facebook Live from 24 April to 29 May 2021. The sessions received an overwhelming response from junior and senior high school students, as well as their teachers, with over 18,000 views and reaching more than… Read more

Recognizing the importance of listening and including farmers in the process of transforming agri-food systems, the Southeast Asian Regional Center on Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and CropLife Asia (CLA) hosted “Transforming Pathways: Working with Farmers in the Agri-food Systems”. This independent dialogue in connection with the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) was held last 14 June via Zoom. “There is a need to transform agricultural systems for long-term sustainability. In this process, farmers, the people who produce our food, must have an active role. This begins with transforming farmers into “transfarmers”. This is a new breed… Read more