Contents
Background
Agriculture remains a cornerstone of development in most Southeast Asian countries, serving as a primary source of livelihood for rural communities. Yet, the sector is at a crossroads, facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Rapid technological advancements, climate change, and shifting global food demands calls for transformative approaches to agricultural innovation. Lessons learned from the pandemic underscored the critical role of agriculture in ensuring a sufficient, safe, and nutritious food supply. It also exposed vulnerabilities in food supply chains and logistics systems, emphasizing the need for resilience and adaptability. During lockdowns, the importance of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in enabling knowledge-sharing and sustaining agricultural activities was amplified. These lessons underscore the urgency of building a robust Agricultural Innovation System (AIS) that fosters collaboration, drives innovation, and ensures sustainable agricultural development in the face of evolving global dynamics.
The AIS is a network of actors, organizations, and individuals, along with supporting institutions and policies, that bring existing or new products, processes, and organizational forms into social and economic use, shaping how these actors interact, generate, share, and use knowledge (GFRAS, 2025) to achieve the goals and aspirations of SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) in 2030 and meet the challenges of Society 5.0 and Agriculture 5.0 (Digitization of Agriculture), which are now defining the future of agriculture. Agrifood systems transformation is needed to address the apparent weaknesses of current food production, processing, distribution, and consumption systems, including impacts on climate change, biodiversity loss, and social inequity.
This training-workshop is a timely initiative aimed at empowering agricultural professionals with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the complexities of modern agriculture while fostering sustainable, transformational agricultural innovation systems.
Objectives
This training-workshop is designed to:
- Enhance participants' understanding of AIS and other related concepts, and their application in addressing contemporary agricultural challenges;
- Equip stakeholders with tools for designing transformative AIS at national or organizational levels;
- Foster skills in designing capacity development interventions tailored to specific needs within AIS; and
- Propose strategies for leveraging emerging technologies while ensuring sustainability.
Intended Participants
The TrAInS program is intended for Southeast Asian professionals who are active in
research and extension, representing any of the following groups:
- Higher education institutions (HEIs) involved in teaching agricultural research and extension;
- Government agencies/ministries;
- Local government units (LGUs), nongovernment organizations (NGOs), farmers organizations/cooperatives; and
- Private sectors engaged in agricultural R&D and relevant civil society organizations (CSOs).
Expected Outputs
The following are some of the expected outputs from the program:
- An analysis of national AIS frameworks and the current challenges to achieving transformational AIS
- A future-ready transformational AIS action plan
Program Modules
Module 1. The Agricultural Innovation System: Emerging Concepts, Frameworks, Governance, and Policy Regulatory Framework
This introductory module will provide a macroeconomic view of the role of agriculture in development by reviewing previous studies, identifying the foundations of agricultural growth, and explaining the importance of increasing agricultural productivity and income as a strategy to reduce poverty and achieve food and nutrition security. The role of policy and regulatory frameworks as enabling conditions will be explained. To be discussed also in this module are the key components of emerging agricultural innovation systems, and the role of institutions and governance focusing agricultural research, extension and advisory services arena.
Module 2. Participatory Technology Generation, Packaging, and Scaling-up Innovation for Sustainability
This module tackles important elements of the research-development-extension (RDE) AIS to meet the needs of the changing agricultural landscape resulting from Agriculture 5.0 (Digitization of Agriculture) embedded on the aspirations of Society 5.0. It continues with a discussion on the integration of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning in agriculture to enhance efficiency and sustainability, the role of collaborative leadership and networking to achieve justice and equity in the access to resources and benefits. This will be further enriched by show casing private sectors' experiences in scaling-up innovations, fostering resiliency, and sustainability particularly prospects and challenges in the application of modern agricultural technologies at the farm level.
Module 3. Communicating Technological Innovations and Translating into Policy
Knowing how to transform agricultural research and extension (R&E) results into knowledge products is essential for science-based policy making, farmer education, promoting best R&E practices, and catalyzing technology adoption. Developing knowledge products helps ensure that valuable information generated through R&E is effectively communicated and widely disseminated. In the process, it supports lifelong learning and even encourages farmer and youth participation. The module starts with an overview of the different knowledge products used in extension. Specific cases will be presented to illustrate how the use of various knowledge products contribute to improving extension delivery services. At the end of this module, the participants should be able to identify different knowledge products to communicate agricultural information, translate them into policies, and spearhead digital campaigns in knowledge dissemination, promotion and utilization.
Module 4. Preparing the Young Agricultural Leaders in Managing the Future through Futures Thinking
This module compels the participants to problematize/create a vision of agriculture 10 years from now. Using futures thinking and principles of program planning, they will work on how to create a humanized community characterized by prosperity and food and nutrition security, with balanced technological and societal benefits accruing to all. What are the competencies (knowledge skills, attitudes) required to develop a strategic action plan? At the end of the module, the participants will be able to: 1) explain futures thinking, and the competencies to undertake it, 2) envision the future of agriculture within its transformed Agriculture Innovation System, 3) practice tools in futures thinking; and 4) build scenarios using futures thinking.
Module 5. Crafting the Action Plan Towards a Mission-Oriented Transformational Agricultural Innovation System for the Future
This module compels the participants to problematize/create a vision of agriculture 10 years hence. Using futures thinking, and principles of program planning they will work on how to create a humanized community characterized by prosperity and food and nutrition security, with balanced technological and societal benefits accruing to all. What are the competencies (knowledge skills, attitudes) required to develop a strategic action plan? At the end of the module, the participants will be able to: 1) explain futures thinking, and the competencies to undertake it, 2) envision the future of agriculture within its transformed Agriculture Innovation System, 3) practice tools in futures thinking; and 4) build scenarios using futures thinking.
Program Format and Duration
The training-workshop will use a hybrid format of four online sessions via Zoom spread over two weeks, culminating in a three-day in-person session in a SEAMEO member country. The key output from the participants is an Action Plan designed to advance a future-ready and transformational AIS at the national or organizational level. Each plan will be grounded in the participants' assessment of their country's AIS and the prevailing challenges/barriers to achieving such transformation.
| Online Onboarding Session |
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| Online Sessions |
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| Online Travel Reminders |
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| In-person Sessions in a SEAMEO member country |
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Program Fees
| USD 1,340 – regular rate for citizens of non-SEAMEO member countries and for private sector employees | Inclusions:
Note: Flights and travel insurance should be covered by the participants |
USD 885 – subsidized rate for government employees of any SEAMEO member country |
Training Grants
SEARCA will offer limited and competitive grants to subsidize the program fee for citizens of SEAMEO Member Countries who are regular employees of government or public agencies. Previous SEARCA training alumni who received a grant (partial or full) within the last two years are not eligible for another grant in this round; however, they may still apply as a fee-paying participant. Applicants who do not receive a grant are encouraged to seek sponsorship from their organizations or other funding institutions.
How to Apply
- Register to the SEARCA Training Application portal.
- Fill out the online application form for the 2026 TrAInS.
- Attach the required documents below:
- Valid ID
- Curriculum Vitae (maximum of 3 pages)
- Nomination Form
- Statement of Commitment Form
The application opening date will be on 16 January 2026. Applicants who wish to apply for a grant must submit their application until 10 February 2026. If you are a fee-paying participant (either subsidized or full program fee), you must apply until 16 February 2026.
Contact Us
Interested in partnering or participating in this training? Please contact Dr. Nova Ramos, Head, Education and Collective Learning Department-Training for Development Unit (ECLD-T4DU):