SEARCA Consortium for Agricultural Development, Research and Extension (CADRE)

SEARCA Consortium for Agricultural Development, Research and Extension (CADRE)

For more than five decades, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has supported the region's agricultural and rural development agenda through high-quality graduate education and institutional strengthening, research and development, knowledge management, and technical assistance to its member countries. Recognized as the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization's (SEAMEO) center of excellence in agriculture, SEARCA caters to the needs of the region's agriculture sector to support its continued transformation. SEARCA is also the only inter-country Southeast Asian entity dedicated entirely to agriculture, and its activities directly impact the work of an ASEAN entity, the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF).

Agricultural development is a complex process that is key to transforming rural communities and reducing poverty and hunger. A systematic and holistic approach is needed to realize this desired transformation. Starting with its 11th Five Year Plan (2021-2025), SEARCA, through its Research and Thought Leadership Department (RTLD), has been striving to accelerate transformation through agricultural innovation by capitalizing on the proven inter-operability of its research, policy and program advisory, and knowledge management functions. These are further reinforced by providing technical assistance, capacity building, and other support programs to various regional stakeholders.

SEARCA has also been advocating for stronger academe-industry-government (AIG) interconnectivity to achieve its mission of elevating the quality of life of agricultural families through sustainable and resilient livelihoods and access to modern networks and innovative markets. The Center likewise recognizes the importance of partnering and engaging with non-governmental, research, farmers, and civil society organizations to realize its desired impacts and effecting change in the region's agriculture sector.

Envisioning itself as becoming a leading enabler and champion of excellence in agricultural and rural development in Southeast Asia, SEARCA will establish the Consortium for Agricultural Development, Research, and Extension in Southeast Asia or CADRE. CADRE, as the word implies, will be a network of high-caliber, like-minded institutions with a unified goal of driving agricultural transformation toward sustainable and inclusive development in Southeast Asia. Underpinning CADRE will be a commitment to research (biological, physical, social, policy) that supports knowledge generation for development and the subsequent extension of this knowledge to stakeholders along the agriculture value chain.

Objectives

General Objective: CADRE aims to build a regional network of high-caliber, like-minded institutions that will work together to provide research and extension support in addressing the most pressing issues and challenges faced by Southeast Asia's agriculture sector that can hinder or delay its desired transformation.

Specifically, CADRE will:

Facilitate the setting of research and development priorities that address SEA-wise challenges and draw on the strength of the member states capabilities.

Foster collaborative research on these priorities among its members and partners on priority and emerging topics related to agricultural development in Southeast Asia.

Support policy and program development through participatory and bottom-up approaches to provide policymakers with evidence-based, timely, and realistic recommendations to address critical issues and challenges in the region's agriculture sector.

Strengthen institutional and technical capacities of its members, partners, and stakeholders by providing technical assistance/extension services and developing their skills through capacity-building activities to prepare them for the future of work in agriculture.

Disseminate research results, facilitate knowledge exchanges and discussions on the most pressing issues and challenges the agriculture sector faces, and provide data and information on key agricultural indicators.

Establish stronger partnerships among the academe-industry-government nexus and with other relevant organizations that could accelerate the transformation of Southeast Asia's agriculture sector.

Conceptual Framework, Components, and Activities

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework of CADRE

Capitalizing on the interoperability of research, policy and program development, and knowledge management, as proven by RTLD's current functional areas, CADRE will support the transformation of Southeast Asia's agriculture sector through a systematic approach to development. These will be reinforced by technical assistance, capacity-building (extension) efforts, and partnerships with relevant institutions/organizations in the region and beyond (Figure 1).

To achieve its goal of supporting agricultural transformation in the region, SEARCA will initially integrate its existing programs under RTLD and use these available resources to kick off CADRE’s activities.

CADRE will have the following components:

Collaborative Research

Members and partners will design and conduct collaborative research studies on areas of prioritized common interest and shall provide counterpart funding. Initially, SEARCA will provide counterpart funds through its Seed Fund for Research and Training (SFRT). Members will also be invited to form consortia for project proposals to be developed and submitted for external funding, depending on their areas of expertise.

Expected Output: Knowledge and technologies captured in different forms (tools, reports, etc.) from the relevant, high-impact research studies SEARCA is actively part of.

Aspirational Outcome: Research outputs that lead to the transformation of parts of the agricultural food system or transformation of entire sub-systems in farming.

Policy and Program Development

The availability of enabling policies strongly influences the successful implementation of development programs. Policy analyses/studies will be conducted under this component, and policy papers/briefs will be produced to provide recommendations and proposed courses of action to address critical challenges in the sector. Knowledge-sharing events such as policy roundtables, conferences, and fora under CADRE will also be conceptualized and implemented/organized under this component with proceedings/reports to document the results of the discussions.

An Annual CADRE Forum will be organized every 2nd quarter of the year (April-June) to create a venue to a) assess the progress of ongoing research and b) identify and discuss key and emerging issues concerning the region's agriculture sector that need immediate action or support.

Each Southeast Asian country will be given the opportunity to host the Forum, and this will be decided upon by the CADRE Board. The results of the discussion will be used as the basis for identifying the research theme and activities that CADRE will implement in the succeeding fiscal year. By the fourth year of each five-year plan (FYP), an analysis of all the research and activities conducted by CADRE will serve as input to the development of SEARCA's succeeding FYP. It will also be the basis for CADRE's next regional program.

Expected Output: Timely, evidence-based policy recommendations for consideration by the governments of Southeast Asia to address critical issues and challenges in the region's agriculture sector.

Aspirational Outcome: Policy changes and consequent action to improve the agricultural food system in SEA.

Technical Assistance and Capacity Building (Extension)

Technical assistance and capacity-building activities will be provided to members, partners, and relevant stakeholders as a form of human capital development and extension service. These would initially involve the following:

  • Travel Grants. Through the SEARCA Travel Grants Program (STGP), researchers from the member and partner institutions will be awarded the grant to present their research conducted under CADRE on SEARCA-initiated or other external events to disseminate its results.
  • Staff Exchanges and Mentorship Program. Members will be encouraged to implement staff exchanges for research and capacity-building purposes. SEARCA will also allow member institutions to send selected staff to the Center at their own expense. Visiting research fellows and adjunct fellows can also serve as their mentors, subject to their availability and acceptance.
  • Trainings, Seminars, Workshops. These will be conducted as needed or as requested by the members and partners.

Expected Output: Relevant staff from AMS trained in key areas and institutions strengthened to participate in research, development, and extension.

Aspirational Outcome: Strengthened institutional and technical capacities of its members, partners, and stakeholders that would enable them to fully adjust to the sector's transformation.

Knowledge Management

All research results and events documentation will be disseminated through this component. A database of relevant statistical data will also be built, beginning with data on priority agricultural commodities and other socio-economic indicators. Regular bulletins will be produced to report the updates on CADRE's initiatives. This component will also create and manage a dedicated webpage and social media accounts. A Community of Practice (COP) will be formed under CADRE to facilitate discussions on relevant agricultural issues in the region.

Expected Output: Increased access and availability of information/data that would support research activities and policy development.

Aspirational Outcome: Increased awareness and knowledge of its members, partners, and stakeholders on the most pressing issues and challenges faced by the agriculture sector.

Partnerships

CADRE will ensure that all agriculture sector stakeholders from the academe, industry, and government will be represented, as well as those from non-governmental, research, farmers, and civil society organizations, directly or indirectly. It will also not be limited to Southeast Asian institutions as it will eventually seek to expand outside the region for a more holistic approach to development. Through a wide range of partnerships and linkages, CADRE will strive to create a network of agricultural experts working together to support the sector's transformation towards sustainable and inclusive development.

Expected Output: Stronger partnerships and linkages among the academe-industry-government and other relevant organizations to achieve agricultural development.

Anticipated Outcome: Stronger and more impactful collaborative research and development in SEA.

Organizational Structure, Governance, and Membership

CADRE will be governed by a Board. All decisions and strategic directions will come from the Board with recommendations from the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and the CADRE Secretariat. A Board Meeting will be organized annually and held back-to-back with the CADRE planning meeting.

TAC will provide technical guidance and support to steer CADRE's activities and programs. For the day-to-day operations, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of CADRE programs and activities, a Secretariat will be established at the SEARCA Headquarters under RTLD. Quarterly TAC consultation meetings and monthly meetings of the Secretariat will be organized to monitor and discuss the progress of implementing projects/activities under CADRE.

CADRE will build its membership in phases starting with the academic institutions, industries/private sector, and governments in Southeast Asia. Non-governmental, research, farmers, and civil society organizations who are interested in being part of the Consortium will also be welcomed. CADRE will also aspire to expand its membership beyond Southeast Asia.

Planned Activities for Fiscal Year 2024-2025

For this Fiscal Year 2024-2025, SEARCA plans to conduct the following activities to prepare for CADRE's pilot operations, which are targeted to commence by mid-2025 to coincide with the beginning of the Center's 12th five-year plan.

  • Develop

    Finalize the Consortium's overall framework, structure, priority areas and activities for its pilot operations

  • Establish

    Establish CADRE Secretariat, Board, Technical Advisory Committee, and Community of Practice

  • Collaborate

    Identify national academic and governmental focal agencies in each of 11 SEA member countries

  • Launch

    Launch CADRE by early 2025

  • Institutionalize

    Propose CADRE to be an official ASEAN initiative

    Connect with us

    To know more about CADRE or to be part of the community, you may contact:

    The Secretariat

    Consortium for Agricultural Development, Research, and Extension (CADRE)
    Research and Thought Leadership Department (RTLD)
    Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA)
    College, Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines