The Philippine government-hosted Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) said the Covid-19 pandemic trained a spotlight on the interconnectedness of the health of people, animals and the environment — also known as One Health.
With this, SEARCA said it chose to focus the 2021 SEARCA Photo Contest on "One Health is Wealth: Healthy Agriculture and Sustainable Food One Health is Wealth: Healthy Agriculture and Sustainable Food Systems," now on its 15th year with great cash prizes up for grabs among those who will join the contest.
Cash prizes of US$1,000, $800, and $500 await the winners of the first, second and third prizes. The SEARCA Director's Choice and Philippine Department of Education Secretary's Choice winners will each get $500, while the winner of the People's Choice Award via Facebook votes will walk away with $400.
SEARCA said to mark the 15th milestone year of the photo contest, there will also be two special awards tagged Best Youth Photographer, one who used a camera and another who used a mobile phone. Each will take home $300.
Dr. Glenn Gregorio, SEARCA director, said the contest is inviting professional and amateur photographers from the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries to submit their best shots depicting One Health applications to agricultural and rural development, particularly those featuring sustainable food systems in this time of the pandemic.
Gregorio said those who wish to join may submit an unlimited number of photo entries as long as they meet the photo contest specifications.
He noted images that depict One Health may include interactions between humans, animals, and their surroundings, which could be nature, farm or other agricultural settings during the pandemic.
They could also be pictures of youth or farming families contributing to One Health or images of healthy diets, improved nutrition and food safety through One Health in agriculture, he added.
SEARCA said entries may also be those that capture sustainable or environmentally harmonious food systems that demonstrate One Health and safeguarding animal health amid the pandemic.
Photos that show environmental awareness and protection at the farm level in pandemic conditions are also welcome, it added.
The deadline for all entries will be on November 30 and must be submitted to SEARCA online via https://photocontest.SEARCA.org.