SEARCA Publications

Food security is a global concern in general, defined in the WorldFood Summit 1996 as a situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.This definition points to the four basic dimensions of food security:(1) food availability, (2) food accessibility, (3) food utilization, and (4) food stability.

The United Nations (UN) Committee on World Food Security (1996) defines food security as the condition in which all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Food insecurity exists when people do not have adequate physical, social, or economic access to food as defined above. Meanwhile, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA 2012)…

Current management procedures for treatment of diseases and disorders in ruminants involve the use of conventional drugs and chemicals. However, with the increasing trend towards a more natural system of production, complementary and alternative therapies are being explored. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese method of medicine which involves stimulation of different acupuncture points in the body to produce effects on different parts. It has been used for diagnosis, production of analgesia, and…

This monograph focuses on the analysis of the buffalo meat value chain comprising seven types of players-input providers, farmers, agents, livestock traders, meat dealers cum wholesaler-retailers, meat processors, and retailers. It highlights the functions and major constraints of each key player in the buffalo meat value chain, and recommends strategies and interventions for upgrading the buffalo meat industry in Luzon.

This study analyzed the factors that influence the adoption of rice and corn insurance and the extent of GAP adoption as a resiliency measure to climate change. Specifically, the study investigated GAP technologies related to pest and disease resilience in rice and corn production, determined the extent of awareness of farmers about these technologies, and analyzed uptake patterns and the determinants of the degree of GAP adoption. The relationship between rice and corn insurance and GAP…

This is one of two monographs from the project titled Value Chain Analysis (VCA) of Carabao and Carabao-based Products in Luzon, Philippines. The project was funded by the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Carabao Center (DA-PCC). It provided an overview of the carabao industry; examined selected carabao-based products in four regions in Luzon using the value chain analysis approach; and recommended specific interventions to improve the competitiveness of the carabao industry. This…

Farms, Food, and Futures: Toward Inclusive and Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development in Southeast Asia spells out the nuances of these interventions moving forward, carefully drawing from in-depth analyses and syntheses of lessons, experiences, and empirical evidence on Asia's agricultural and rural development. Siginificantly, the book's contributors walk the leaders and practitioners of agricultural and rural development through the complex issues and challenges, as well as…

This monograph highlights the findings of the meta-analysis on SEARCA’s food security-related initiatives from 2000 to 2012. It draws insights from the output of the initiatives; and identifies the gaps in SEARCA’s food security-related research, capacity development, and knowledge management initiatives.

This paper was prepared by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) as a milestone deliverable of the project funded by the Department of Agriculture Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) titled, An Assessment of Smuggling on Selected Agricultural Commodities in the Philippines.  Through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) done in various institutions (in the Philippines and its neighboring countries)…