SEARCA News

The Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development December 2024 issue contributes seven new studies and a book review to the knowledge base of timely themes on global food prices, sustainable food system, food security, value chain, income diversification, and hunger and poverty. Based on findings in the paper "Unveiling Socioeconomic Factors Shaping Global Food Prices and Security: A Machine Learning Approach," Professor Shan Shan of Zhejiang University, China, concludes that harnessing machine learning techniques and understanding socioeconomic variables are necessary to help policymakers make informed decisions on improving global food prices and security. Researchers from Thailand, China, Myanmar, Lao PDR… Read more

The ERASMUS+-funded program on Postgraduate Micro-credentials in Food Security and Climate Change (PMC FSCC) opened 2025 with a workshop titled Developing a Roadmap for the Establishment of Micro-Credentials. This workshop, held on 9–10 January 2025 at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, marked the project's final event under Work Package 3 (WP3). Organized by UGM in collaboration with Maejo University (MJU), the workshop played a crucial role in finalizing the roadmap for micro-credentials and reaching an agreement among partner universities on offering the program. The workshop gathered representatives from academic institutions, including Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB), UGM, and Universitas… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has picked four projects for the 2024–2025 Grants for Research towards Agricultural Innovative Solutions (GRAINS). The grants, ranging from USD 10,000 to USD 15,000 each, will support projects aimed at transforming food production in Laos, Timor Leste, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The GRAINS project proponents plan to introduce new processes and technologies in farming communities. In Laos, Dr. Viengvilaiphone Botthoulath, a microbiology expert, will teach farmers to extract probiotic microorganisms from agricultural waste to provide affordable nutrients for their hydroponic farms. In Timor Leste, Mr. Agustinho da… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), through its Research and Thought Leadership Department (RTLD), teamed up with the Center of Excellence on Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Nutrition (CE SAIN) for the CE SAIN-SEARCA Joint International Conference 2024: 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 19–22 November 2024 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Themed "Harnessing synergies of sustainable agriculture and biodiversity towards food and nutrition security and improved livelihoods," this year's conference provided a platform for tapping into… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) hosted Dr. Enno Bahrs under its Agriculture and Development Seminar Series (ADSS) on 10 December at the Drilon Hall, SEARCA Headquarters. He presented the results of their research project on Agriculture 4.0 without Chemical Synthetic Plant Protection (NOcsPS), which explored alternative cropping systems that eliminate the use of chemical synthetic plant protection products (commonly referred to as pesticide-free) while optimizing the use of mineral fertilizers. Dr. Bahrs is the Head of the Department of Agricultural Business Management at the University of Hohenheim in Germany. Dr. Bahrs explained… Read more

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) hosted Dr. Dominic Glover under its Agriculture and Development Seminar Series (ADSS) on 5 December at the Drilon Hall, SEARCA Headquarters. Dr. Glover introduced a groundbreaking approach to understanding technological change in agriculture, moving beyond the traditional concept of adoption. Titled Beyond Adaptation: A Technographic Approach to Analyzing and Understanding Technological Change in Agriculture, Dr. Glover presented the PEDRO framework (Proposition, Encounter, Disposition, Response, and Outcome) that highlights the diverse actors and varying forms of agency involved in technological change, focusing on the role of technological practitioners… Read more

The Southeast Asian Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in collaboration with the Central Luzon State University (CLSU), spearheaded a three-day Introductory Training on Agri-Robotics at Tarlac Agricultural University's Farmer's Training Center (TAU-FTC) on 2–4 December 2024. The training aimed to inspire students and faculty to leverage technology in advancing agriculture in the Philippines. The event brought together Information and Technology (IT) and Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (ABE) students, as well as TAU faculty members. The participants were warmly welcomed by Dr. Silverio Ramon Salunson, President of TAU, who emphasized the critical role of technology in modernizing… Read more

PASIG CITY, Philippines—Around 800 students from various Philippine basic education schools participated in a session of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture's (SEARCA) Sowing Seeds: Cultivating Youth's Future in Agriculture held on 14 December 2024 at the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P). This event, organized in partnership with UA&P, aimed to inspire young individuals to engage in agriculture and pursue higher education in agriculture and related fields. Mr. Francis Perdigon from Perdigon Farm in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, Philippines, a licensed agriculturist and the first youth Lakbay Bukid awardee, served as… Read more

The 2024 Science Film Festival, organized by the Goethe Institut and the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) College of Development Communication (CDC) - Department of Science Communication, featured the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA)'s Sowing Seeds: Cultivating Youth's Future in Agriculture. Sowing Seeds is a career orientation initiative aimed at encouraging Southeast Asian youth to engage in agriculture. It was implemented through SEARCA's Partnerships Unit (PU) as part of the Center's Young Forces for Agricultural Innovation (#Y4AGRI) program. Four Sowing Seeds sessions held on 11–12 December 2024 at the SEARCA Drilon… Read more

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Center of Excellence on Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Nutrition (CE SAIN), in line with the commitment to advance sustainable agricultural practices and improving food and nutritional security in Cambodia, conducted a training program on Sustainable Food Production and Basic Food Processing on 26–28 November 2024 at the CE SAIN Office in the Royal University of Agriculture (RUA). It was attended by 22 participants, comprising agricultural coordinators and agricultural extension officers of the Agricultural Technology Parks (ATPs), teachers, school heads, and principals… Read more