THE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) championed carbon-smart agriculture during a sustainability webinar on March 7.
In his keynote address at the Webinar on Challenges, Opportunities and Innovation Strategies in Managing Protected Forests for Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainability, SEARCA Center Director Glenn Gregorio said, "Agriculture and biodiversity conservation are often framed as conflicting pursuits — as if we must sacrifice one for the other."
He said that the real challenge is not choosing between agriculture and biodiversity conservation but finding ways to make agriculture a partner in conservation.
The webinar was organized and hosted by Central Mindanao University (CMU), an affiliate member of the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC).
Established by SEARCA in 1989, the UC is a regional network to strengthen graduate education and collaborative research in agriculture and natural resources.
Also serving as an adjunct professor at CMU and the University of the Philippines Los Baños, as well as academician of the National Academy of Science and Technology of the Philippines, Gregorio delivered his address to an audience of academics, students and CMU partners.
"Biodiversity is disappearing up to a thousand times faster than normal because of deforestation, urban expansion and unsustainable farming practices," he added.
Pointing out that protected forests, essential for carbon storage, climate regulation and wildlife habitats are under increasing pressure, Gregorio introduced carbon-smart agriculture as a transformative solution — a way to regenerate soils, enhance biodiversity and secure food production all at once.
"Agriculture doesn't have to deplete nature; it can restore it. With the right innovations, we can turn farms into partners for conservation," he said.
Gregorio also explained SEARCA's three ongoing initiatives that are aligned with the center's advocacy for "Carbon Wise Agriculture: Winnable Innovation Solutions for the Environment" embodied in the center's 12th Five-Year Development Plan for 2025–2030.
Led by United Kingdom startup Straw Innovations, SEARCA's Rice Straw Biogas Hub project is promoting the conversion of rice straw waste into clean energy, reducing emissions while providing Filipino farmers with sustainable energy alternatives.
Gregorio said SEARCA also developed a carbon footprint tracker, an internal system that enables the center to measure, manage and reduce its environmental impact.
He said this is one way of embedding sustainability into SEARCA's operations because "real change starts with accountability."
"We are looking to gather more than 100 experts across agriculture, finance and policy sectors to scale up carbon-smart agriculture across Southeast Asia," he said.
Emphasizing that collaboration is key, Gregorio said that achieving a balance between agricultural productivity and biodiversity conservation "demands science-based innovation, evidence-informed policies and strong cross-sectoral partnerships."
"The future of our forests and food systems is in our hands," Gregorio said, asserting that "together, we can redefine agriculture not as a threat to biodiversity, but as its ally. The time to act is now."