Los Baños, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is set to hold the Onboarding Workshop for the Consortium for Agricultural Policy Research Initiatives (CAPRI) on 27-28 April 2026 at its headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna. The event will bring together member institutions and partners to establish CAPRI as a premier regional platform for evidence-based agricultural policy research in Southeast Asia.
Established under SEARCA's 12th Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP) focused on Sustainable Transformation of Agricultural Systems through Innovation in Southeast Asia (SUSTAIN Southeast Asia), CAPRI is envisioned as a strategic regional consortium of leading institutions dedicated to advancing agricultural transformation through policy research. The initiative is designed to serve as the foundational backbone for Southeast Asia's agricultural policies and to ensure that innovation is integrated into enabling frameworks by translating technical knowledge into tangible outcomes.
SEARCA has extended invitations to 11 leading institutions representing each 11 Southeast Asian country to be part of the Consortium. This regional partnership aims to integrate science, policy, and practice to support sustainable agri-food system transformation in the region. Specifically, CAPRI focuses on delivering evidence-based policy recommendations, fostering collaborative research on key topics, and building institutional capacities through cross-border knowledge sharing.
The upcoming workshop will gather the invited CAPRI members and key partners to reaffirm the Consortium's framework, establish a comprehensive research agenda, and plan pilot activities. Key agenda items include the presentation of SEARCA's 12th FYDP and Policy Research Agenda; an overview of ASEAN's strategies for food, agriculture, and forestry; and a review of national policy research priorities across the 11 member states. Participants will also deliberate on CAPRI's overall design and proposed implementation framework, concluding withe the formation of Thematic Working Groups (TWGs) tasked with designing collaborative initiatives focused on SUSTAIN Southeast Asia's key priority areas. The event aims to solidfy long-term policy research cooperation acoss the region.