SEARCA fulfills its mandate to promote, undertake, and coordinate research on the region's emerging issues through research focused on supporting policy development and program advisory toward sustainable transformation of Southeast Asian agricultural systems through innovation.
Led by its Research and Thought Leadership Department, SEARCA conducts participatory, evidence-based research studies that address real-world needs toward the following outcomes:
- Increased farmers' income
- Improved food security and nutrition
- Greater climate resilience of agricultural systems
- Empowered farmers, farmer groups, and agricultural stakeholders and their institutions
Building on rigorous research, SEARCA provides policy guidance and technical assistance to governments, ASEAN bodies, and multilateral partners. Through targeted advisory services and tailored capacity-building, we help align national programs with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ensure that evidence drives policy and investment decisions.
SEARCA also holds policy roundtables to provide catalytic platforms for translating scientific insight into policy reform, ensuring research remains aligned with on-the-ground needs, and collectively steering agricultural systems toward more productive, resilient, and inclusive futures.
These research initiatives are complemented by the following support programs:
- Seed Fund for Research and Training to enable promising research and training that can attract sustained funding
- Travel Grants to disseminate research findings, foster cross-institutional learning, and cultivate wider professional and institutional ARD networks
- Adjunct Fellows and Visiting Research Fellows Programs to continuously renew SEARCA's intellectual capital, strengthen international research alliances, and accelerate the translation of knowledge into on-the-ground impact for farmers and other agricultural stakeholders
