LOS BAÑOS, Laguna — Two papers published in the December 2025 issue (Volume 22, Issue No. 2) of the Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD) sheds light on the challenges faced by agencies with mandates on agriculture on delivering solutions to rice farmers, and the need for them to adopt measures to deal with climate change.
AJAD is a publication of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).
SEARCA Director Mercedita Agcaoili Sombilla said the issue also highlights how farmers, cooperatives, researchers, and policymakers are responding to structural changes in agriculture and rural communities, offering evidence-based recommendations for more inclusive and sustainable development.
With over 400 rice varieties bred by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) being commercialized, it is critical to understand how these varieties perform among various stakeholders to support wider adoption. Jaime Manalo IV and his co-authors from PhilRice and the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) explored the adoption of NSIC Rc 160 across the value chain in their study titled "Understanding the Uptake of NSIC Rc 160 Rice Variety in the Philippines."
Using innovation mapping, supported by interviews and discussions conducted in nine provinces across the country, the study finds that NSIC Rc 160 is popular and widespread, with high acceptability among consumers and farmers.
Nonetheless, the variety's success has been constrained by weaknesses arising from competing and sometimes conflicting goals among the different actors. The study provides insights into these conflicts, which, if addressed, may facilitate not only the broader uptake of NSIC Rc 160 but also the success of subsequent rice innovations.
Another paper, "Unpacking the Climate Change Adaptation 'Toolbox' of Rice Communities in Central Luzon, Philippines," also by Manalo and his co-authors from PhilRice and CLSU, addressed the urgent issue of climate resilience in rice farming communities. The authors examine the adaptive capacity of rice communities in Central Luzon, the country's second largest rice-producing region.
The "toolbox" refers to the collective adaptive mechanisms available to farmers, including infrastructure, institutional arrangements, laws, and other measures that help them cope with the impacts of climate change. The study finds that while many tools — especially technologies — are available, these are often poorly utilized.
Pointing out that this underutilization is largely due to limited efforts along the social dimension of climate change adaptation, the authors' key recommendations are to intensify campaigns encouraging farmers to fully utilize their entitlements and to develop concrete deployment plans for the identified adaptive mechanisms.
The AJAD December 2025 issue is available for free at ajad.searca.org, including past issues available for download, while print copies can be obtained through subscription and from the SEARCA Knowledge Shop in Los Baños, Laguna.
AJAD publishes articles resulting from empirical, policy-oriented, or institutional development studies, perspectives on agriculture and development, the political economy of rural development, and trade issues. Submissions are welcome year-round through the journal's online submission portal.