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The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has set its new direction with Accelerating Transformation Through Agricultural Innovation (ATTAIN) as the overall theme of its 11th Five-Year Plan (FYP) for 2020-2025. This plan builds on SEARCA's decades of experience and active collaboration with partners in agricultural and rural development (ARD) and aligns the Center's initiatives with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 17, which recognizes the importance of partnerships in achieving ARD success.

The Stakeholders Forum is SEARCA's way of putting a premium on nurturing existing partnerships and forging new institutional and professional relationships with various stakeholders through increased interconnectivity across the Academe, Industry, and Government (AIG) sectors in Southeast Asia and beyond. The Stakeholders Forum was designed to bring relevant, multi-sector ARD partners together to highlight and exchange experiences, challenges, best practices, strategic directions, and opportunities to strategically advance ARD and elevate the quality of life of farmers and farming families in the Southeast Asian region.

Objectives

  • Provide an overview of the status of ARD in Southeast Asia by showcasing and highlighting strategic lessons from institutional experiences, both in the science and practice of ARD in the region, in the past five years.

  • Identify new and key emerging challenges and opportunities in Southeast Asia for a forward-looking and shared vision of a transformative ARD in the region.

  • Identify common priorities, pragmatic actions, and modalities for partnerships and collaboration.

Participants

Speakers comprised institutional and thought leaders across these 7 key priority areas of SEARCA's 11th FYP:

  1. Agri-Business Models for Increased Productivity and Income
  2. Sustainable Farming Systems and Natural Resource Management
  3. Food and Nutrition Security
  4. Transformational Leadership for ARD
  5. Gender and Youth Engagement in ARD
  6. Enhanced ARD towards Climate Resilience
  7. EcoHealth/One Health Applications to ARD

The audience will consist of various stakeholders from the academe, government, industry, and civil society sectors with initiatives or program/policy priorities related to SEARCA's 11th FYP, including academicians, scientists, business and NGO leaders, government officials, and youth leaders.

Forum Program

The forum consisted of two plenary sessions that are open to the public and four parallel sessions that were attended by representatives of selected organizations and institutions who discussed and identified common priorities, pragmatic actions, and modalities for partnerships and collaboration.

The four parallel sessions are on the following topics:

Agribusiness Model for Increased Productivity and Income

Sustainable Development Goal: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

Increased agricultural productivity could translate to higher incomes depending on the maximization of effective and efficient technological advancements across the various segments of the value chains. Agricultural development in Southeast Asia will be bolstered by the establishment of open innovation and open science spaces that will serve as the venue for future trends and opportunities facing the agriculture and rural sectors. Among others, these spaces must showcase and operate a platform–online and offline, systems or modular– to operationalize agri-innovations, sustaining best practices, emerging agribusiness models, and smart disruptive solutions to inspire all to confront future challenges in agricultural and rural development.

SEARCA's 11th FYP priority area Agribusiness Models for Increased Productivity and Income is anchored on SDG 9-Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, with the expected outcome of providing wider access to innovative products and services and business models for increased productivity and income. This session was geared towards the discussion on the incubation of emerging technologies, knowledge and technology transfer for AGRI 4.0, and the necessary policy environment to effectively support and strategically harness innovation in agricultural and rural development (ARD) toward productivity improvement in agribusiness value chains.

Resilient Farming Systems and Natural Resources for Food and Nutrition Security

Sustainable Development Goal: Zero Hunger

Sustainable Development Goal: Climate Action

Regional trends in Southeast Asian agriculture, such as the consumption behavior moving from purely functional to more sophisticated and experiential, are driving changes in food production that directly impact the quality of resources, the emerging issues in biodiversity, and the emission of greenhouse gases, among others. In the long run, the structural shifts in food production will also cause significant changes in the nature and intensity of the competition for natural resources between competing uses of both the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors.

Integrating two of the priority areas of SEARCA's 11th FYP, Sustainable Farming Systems, and Natural Resource Management and Food and Nutrition Security, this session was aligned with SDG 2-Zero Hunger and SDG 13-Climate Action and intended to solicit inputs on the application of climate-smart and climate-resilient agricultural practices, and sustainable production and consumption, informing policies and technological support initiatives toward food and nutrition security.

Transformational Leadership for Gender and Youth Engagement in ARD

Sustainable Development Goal: Quality Education

Sustainable Development Goal: Gender Equality

Transformational leaders will play a key role in inspiring the next generation of agriculture leaders and professionals. In response to SDG 4-Quality Education, it will require education interventions that will be better supported by technology-based pedagogical approaches and state-of-the-art learning strategies that would clearly target collective learning as an outcome and would clearly articulate youth engagement in agriculture. Overall, there is need for more innovations how to keep the youth inspired and be able to translate this into concrete actions that will push the agriculture sector forward. In addition, there is a need for more programs that incorporate responses related to SDG 5-Gender Equality, to pursue a more gender-balanced engagement of youth in ARD to arrive at a diverse supply of knowledge and ideas while simultaneously building transformational leadership.

As part of its 11th FYP, SEARCA targets increased involvement of the youth in agriculture through its priority area, Gender and Youth Engagement in Agricultural and Rural Development (ARD). This session aimed to further the discussion on the importance of developing the next generation of agriculture leaders, with a more balanced gender representation, equipped with technological know-how and transformational leadership skills.

EcoHealth / One Health Applications in ARD

Sustainable Development Goal: Zero Hunger

Despite the growth in per capita income over the past decade, there remains a challenge in terms of the improvement of nutrition and overall health and wellness of farmers. It is in this context that One Health and EcoHealth has become an emerging framework and approach to address the problems of the effects of changing the Earth's ecosystem on human health. In addition, the onset of COVID-19 further highlights the need for an integrative lens to analyze the health impacts of human activities, particularly in agricultural communities.

Aligned primarily with SDG2-Zero Hunger, SEARCA's 11th FYP priority area, EcoHealth/OneHealth Application to Agricultural and Rural Development (ARD), aims to utilize these approaches in contributing to the goal of optimal health outcomes among humans, animals, plants, and their shared environment. This session furthered the discussion of the concepts and principles of EcoHealth/OneHealth in achieving food and nutrition security in the context of the ARD and particularly how it can be maximized to contribute resilience of the Southeast Asian region.

Program / Agenda

Welcome Message
Time (GMT +08:00) Agenda Speaker
9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. Welcome Message Dr. Glenn Gregorio
Director, SEARCA
Plenary Session #1
Time (GMT +08:00) Agenda Speaker/s
9:15 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. Introduction to Plenary Speakers Mr. Joselito Florendo
Deputy Director for Administration, SEARCA
Paper Presentation Status of Agricultural and Rural Development (ARD) in Southeast Asia Prof. Paul Teng
Nanyang Technological University, SG
Download the presentation
Introduction of SEARCA's ARD Initiatives from 2014 to 2020 Championing Inclusive and Sustainable ARD in Southeast Asia
Watch the audio video presentation
Dr. Gil Saguiguit, Jr. *
Former SEARCA Director (2009-2018)
Watch the pre-recorded message
Panel Reactions Prof. Dato' Dr. Zulkifli Idrus
Universiti Putra Malaysia, MY

Dr. Fernando Sanchez, Jr.
University of the Philippines Los Baños, PH
Open Discussion / Q&A Moderator: Mr. Joselito Florendo
Synthesis
Plenary Session #2
Time (GMT +08:00) Agenda Speaker/s
10:20 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Introduction to Plenary Speakers Mr. Joselito Florendo
Deputy Director for Administration, SEARCA
Paper Presentation Defining a Forward-looking and Transformative ARD in Southeast Asia Dr. Glenn Gregorio
Director, SEARCA
Download the presentation
Perspective from the Academe Dr. Sutkhet Nakasathien
Kasetsart University, TH

Dr. Seiichi Matsuo
Nagoya University, JP
Download the presentation
Perspective from the Industry Mr. Christian Lauron
SyCip Gorres Velayo & Co., PH
Perspective from the Government Secretary William Dar
Department of Agriculture, PH
Download the presentation
Panel Reactions Dr. Jiangfeng Zhang
Asian Development Bank
Download the presentation

Dr. Fabrizio Bresciani *
International Fund for Agricultural Development
Watch the pre-recorded message

Mr. Lenard Martin Guevarra
National Economic Development Authority, PH
Download the presentation

Atty. Allan Barcena
Energy Development Corporation, PH
Open Discussion / Q&A Moderator: Mr. Joselito Florendo
Synthesis
Instructions for Parallel Sessions
Parallel Sessions (By invitation only)
Time (GMT +08:00) Agenda Speaker/s
1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Parallel Session #1 of 4: Agribusiness Models for Increased Productivity and Income
Opening / Introduction to Speakers Dr. Cielito Habito
Ateneo de Manila University, PH
Speaker #1 Dr. Stuart Crispin
University of Tasmania, AU
Speaker #2 Prof. Dr. Datuk Mad Nasir Shamsudin
Universiti Putra Malaysia, MY
Download the presentation
Speaker #3 Mr. Daniël Jongejan
Kennemer Eco-Solutions, PH
Download the presentation
Speaker #4 Ms. Ellen Joyce Suficiencia
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, PH
Download the presentation
Open Discussion / Q&A Moderator: Dr. Cielito Habito
Synthesis and Closing
Parallel Session #2 of 4: Resilient Farming Systems and Natural Resources for Food and Nutrition Security
Opening / Introduction to Speakers Dr. Doris Capistrano
ASEAN-Swiss Partnership on Social Forestry and Climate Change (ASFCC), IN
Speaker #1 Dr. Howarth Bouis (Emeritus Fellow)
International Food Policy Research Institute, USA
Download the presentation
Watch the pre-recorded presentation
Speaker #2 Mr. Pierre Ferrand
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

Dr. Anna Korzenszky
International Fund for Agricultural Development

Dr. Luiz Claudio Campos
International Fund for Agricultural Development

Download the presentation
Speaker #3 Ms. Cynthia Remedios De Guia
Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research, PH
Download the presentation
Speaker #4 Ms. Clarissa Arida
Director, Programme Development and Implementation
ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, PH
Download the presentation
Open Discussion / Q&A Moderator: Dr. Doris Capistrano
Synthesis and Closing
Parallel Session #3 of 4: Transformational Leadership for Gender and Youth Engagement in ARD
Opening / Introduction to Speakers Ms. Mai Alagcan
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, PH
Speaker #1 Dr. Jayne Curnow
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, AU
Download the presentation
Speaker #2 Ms. Ariana Marnicio and
Mr. Christopher Mawhorter *

Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, USA
Download the presentation
Watch the pre-recorded presentation
Speaker #3 Dr. Ethel Agnes Valenzuela
Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Secretariat
Speaker #4 Ms. Cherrie Atilano
AGREA Agricultural Systems International, Inc., PH
Download the presentation
Open Discussion / Q&A Moderator: Ms. Mai Alagcan
Synthesis and Closing
Parallel Session #4 of 4: EcoHealth/One Health Applications in ARD
Opening / Introduction to Speakers Dr. Rico Ancog
SEARCA and UPLB-SESAM, PH
Speaker #1 Dr. Vicente Belizario, Jr.
University of the Philippines Manila, PH
Speaker #2 Dr. Flavie Goutard
French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), FR
Download the presentation
Speaker #3 Prof. Dr. Wayan Tunas Artama, DVM
Universitas Gadjah Mada, IN
Speaker #4 Dr. Alfredo Mahar Francisco Lagmay
University of the Philippines Resilience Institute, PH
Open Discussion / Q&A Moderator: Dr. Rico Ancog
Synthesis and Closing
* Pre-recorded message

Past SEARCA Conferences on ARD in Southeast Asia

The most recent conferences similar to this Stakeholders Forum that SEARCA had convened are:

  1. 2nd International Conference on Agriculture and Rural Development in Southeast Asia (ARD2014)

    Theme: Strengthening Resilience, Equity, and Integration in ASEAN Food and Agriculture Systems
    12-13 November 2014

Contact Information

For more information on the Forum, please send inquires to .