For 60 years, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture or SEARCA has been transforming the agricultural landscape in the region towards greater productivity.
As it moves onward to the next five years, it seeks "to reimagine agriculture as a driver of prosperity, equity, and environmental stewardship across the Southeast Asian region".
Yesterday, with a select group of media invitees, SEARCA Executive Director Mercedita Sombilla bares its 12th Five-Year Development Plan or FYDP anchoring on the theme SUSTAIN or Sustainable Transformation of Agricultural Systems through Innovation, directed towards its own version of 4Ps as outcomes: 1) Pocket for sustained increases in farmers' income; 2) Plate for sustained improvement of food security and nutrition; 3) Place for sustained resilience of agricultural systems; and 4) People for sustained empowerment of farmers, farmer groups, stakeholders, and their institutions.
SEARCA has consistently aligned its priorities with SEAMEO, ASEAN, and the UN SDGs through graduate education, research and innovation in agriculture, as well as policy development through trainings and thought leadership.
The 12th FYDP seeks to continue to carry out not only the hallmarks and achievements of SEARCA in its six decades of existence but also to transform agricultural systems into its resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future.
SEARCA calls on its partners to join this actionable cause: "SUSTAIN Southeast Asia!"