SEARCA Publications

This guidebook is an offshoot of the research outputs, lessons learned, challenges, and recommendations of the project Piloting and Upscaling Effective Models of ISARD implemented by SEARCA in partnership with the Visayas State University, the Mindoro State College of Agriculture and Technology (now the Mindoro State University), and the local government units (LGUs) of Victoria, Oriental Mindoro and Inopacan, Leyte. It presents principles, concepts, and applications for…

The strict community quarantines due to the COVID-19 crisis have made many people, including the youth, realize that local food security is even more important. What are then the actions carried out by the youth relative to this? Forced to stay at home, many Filipinos, particularly young adults, have increased engagement or developed an interest in gardening to cope with the mental health implications of the pandemic (Sunga and Advincula 2021). Some youth and youth-serving organizations have…

The food production sector of developing economies is facing major challenges, which will persist for the next decades. These challenges include providing sufficient food to meet the growing population and rising per capita income, as well as dietary changes, eradicating hunger and food insecurity, enhancing the productivity and sustainable use of available natural resources, adapting to the impacts of climate change, and contributing to climate change mitigation.

A total of 731 participants, who included up to 30 distinguished experts, gathered online on 28 October 2020 for the livestreaming from Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines, of a stakeholders forum organized by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). They brainstormed on identifying new and key emerging challenges and opportunities in Southeast Asia for a forward-looking and shared vision of transformative agricultural and rural development (ARD)…

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in partnership with The Rice Trader (TRT), organized and conducted the Parallel Session on the Regional Implications of the Philippine Rice Tariffication Law during the 11th The Rice Trader World Rice Conference, the Inaugural Rice Research Symposium, on 13 November 2019. This initiative addresses concerns brought about by the newly enacted Republic Act 11203 titled “An Act liberalizing the…

AJAD 17.2 articles examine the Asian rice and palm oil sectors and recommend policies and practices to bolster their performances. Malaysia's foreign labor shortage in its palm oil industry suggests an increased focus on genetic innovation and diversification. The Philippine rice value chain analysis paper shows constraints and proposes upgrading strategies to enhance rice industry competitiveness. Prawn-rice culture in the Bangladesh gher system impacted on agricultural and household incomes…

Soybean is a healthy alternative to cow’s milk to address malnutrition among children and osteoporosis among the elderly since it is safe for people with lactose intolerance or milk allergy. Moreover, soybeans contain anti-cancer properties (Lima, et al. 2017). Soybeans also have isoflavones and lunasin factors that help prevent diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. It also contains a large amount of quality proteins (312%) and high levels of essential fatty acids. It is a good source of…

Achieving food security in Southeast Asia amid their growing populations has been a continuing challenge, brought even more elusive by the onset of COVID-19 pandemic. For agriculture to secure food for the world’s growing population, it already needs to produce more with less—more in terms of yield, income, and social inclusivity; and less in terms of unnecessary inputs, energy consumption, and environmental impacts. On the supply side, drastic change in both individual and collective…

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) published a monograph series on analyses of the profitability and financial viability of selected products and technologies funded and promoted by the Philippine Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR). The project, titled Financial Viability and Profitability Analysis of Agricultural Technologies and Enterprises, aimed to stress the importance of conducting thorough research…

AJAD 17.1's banner article "Assessing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on agricultural Production in Southeast Asia: Toward Transformative Change in Agricultural Food Systems" posits that the COVID-19 pandemic during the first quarter of 2020 is estimated to result in 3.11 percent (17.03 million tons) reduction in aggregate volume of agricultural production in Southeast Asia due to decline in agricultural farm labor affecting 100.77 million individuals. This could translate to 1.4 percent…