LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has opened applications for the SEARCA Youth Ambassadors Program (SAYAP) for Sustainable Agrifood Systems.
This new initiative seeks to develop a generation of innovative and systems-oriented young leaders equipped to advance the sustainable transformation of agrifood systems in Southeast Asia. SAYAP is aligned with SEARCA’s Education, Capacity Building, and Youth Engagement priority area under its 12th Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP), themed Sustainable Transformation of Agricultural Systems through Innovation in Southeast Asia (SUSTAIN Southeast Asia). As a regional catalyst for agricultural and rural transformation, SEARCA recognizes youth inclusion as a critical cross-cutting strategy for advancing resilient, inclusive, and sustainable agrifood systems.
The 2026 pilot implementation is open to Filipino citizens aged 18–35 who current reside in the Philippines. Applicants must demonstrate strong interest, commitment, and potential to contribute to sustainable agrifood systems. The program welcomes applications from emerging youth leaders engaged in agrifood systems in academe, research, the private sector, agribusiness, government, civil society, and media.
The six-month program will begin with a leadership bootcamp designed to build participants' knowledge and skills in contemporary knowledge on agrifood systems, youth leadership, design and systems thinking, policy advocacy, communication, and project monitoring and evaluation. Participants will also engage in mentorship, peer learning, and action projects implemented in their workplaces or communities.
All selected participants in the inaugural cohort will receive full grants to participate in SAYAP, covering round-trip air or land transportation, accommodation, meals, learning materials, and training kits during the Leadership Bootcamp in October. In addition, SEARCA will provide seed grants to five selected action projects with strong potential for expansion or scaling up.
For nearly six decades, SEARCA has helped build the capacities of next-generation professionals across Southeast Asia through graduate scholarships, leadership programs, training initiatives, and knowledge-sharing platforms. Building on this legacy and responding to emerging regional needs, the Center launched SAYAP to equip young people to become SEARCA champions of sustainable agrifood systems on the ground, working with farming communities, local and national governments, academic institutions, civil society organizations, and innovation networks.
Interested applicants may visit the SAYAP 2026 webpage at https://bit.ly/sayap2026 for application details and program information.