IN a world grappling with the fallout of conventional farming — deteriorating soils, drowning biodiversity and a changing climate — the call for a transformative shift has never been louder. One proposal, that "regenerative agriculture is the key to securing food and restoring our environment," comes from Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Center Director Mercedita Sombilla.
During the 5th International Conference on Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture in the Tropics, held on Oct. 29 at Hasanuddin University in Makassar, Indonesia, Sombilla first painted a stark picture of the costs of business-as-usual farming: depleted soils, shrinking yields, vanishing species and communities vulnerable to climate shocks.
Then she offered a pathway forward, grounded in science and hope. Regenerative agriculture, she explained, thrives on three pillars borrowed from the Natural Resources Defense Council: nurturing ecological harmony, prioritizing soil health with minimal disturbance and slashing synthetic inputs. The results: healthier soils, a stronger biodiversity, climate resilience and empowered farmers.
Sombilla spotlighted regional success stories. Thailand's Thai Rice for Life Initiative boosted yields by 30 percent while cutting costs. Indonesia's agroforestry-palm oil integration diversified incomes and curbed land degradation, proving sustainability and productivity can coexist.
"Yes, the transition is tough," Sombilla acknowledged. "But the long-term gains are compelling: carbon sequestration, premium markets for green produce, tech innovations with artificial intelligence and partnerships that uplift farmers."
She urged the participating researchers, students and educators to be catalysts, pushing boundaries through innovation, implementation and rigorous study.
The Laguna-based SEARCA itself is walking the talk with flagship projects. Its Joint Degree Master of Science in Food Security and Climate Change equips the next generation with cutting-edge skills. Its School-plus-Home Gardens Project grows nutrition and variety, one school at a time. Its Rice Straw Biogas Hub turns waste into biochar and compost, closing loops in a circular bioeconomy.
The conference, which was also streamed, featured luminaries like Indonesia's Minister of Agriculture, Ir. Andi Amran Sulaiman; B. Nishantha of the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka; Mahmoud Seleiman of King Saud University, Saudi Arabia; and Liu Hung-Tse of Group Gain Bio-Agri Co., Taiwan. All of them echoed the urgency of regenerative action.