Photo contest on agricultural competitiveness launched

A photography competition focusing on agricultural competitiveness has been launched by a Southeast Asian center based here.

The contest is sponsored by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) hosted by the Philippine government on the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) campus.

The photo contest theme is “Agricultural Competitiveness and Natural Resource Management, Research and Development in Action.”

SEARCA said the entries should “best represent the initiative and activities that scientists, practitioners, rural development workers, and champions are undertaking to tackle the multiple challenges of research and development in agriculture and natural resource management at the local, national, and international levels.

Contest participants have until October 31, 2011 to send their entries by email to foto@agri.searca.org or submit online via bit.ly/SEARCAPhotos2011. Entries may also be submitted in CD to: SEARCA Photo Contest 2011, SEARCA, UPLB Campus, College, Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines.

The art contest is open to Cambodians and nationals of the 10 other SEAMEO member-countries: Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. Not qualified are SEARCA employees and members of SEARCA and members of their immediate families.

Cash awards and plaques of recognition await the contest winners.
           

Explaining the contest’s theme, SEARCA said “agricultural competitiveness is directly related to food security, rural poverty alleviation, and livelihood.” It emphasizes four focal concerns in agricultural competitiveness: technology management, trade and investment, policy reforms, and institutional support services.

Natural resource management (NRM) combines economics, policy and governance, and science to study, manage, and restore natural resources ecosystems.

As NRM covers a wide range of topics, SEARCA said entries may focus on management of land and water resources from the upland to the coastal areas; research on biodiversity and risk management; and the impacts of climate change on agrobiodiversity.

Headed by Director Gil C. Saguiguit Jr., SEARCA builds capacities of Southeast Asian institutions working in agriculture and rural development through its core programs on graduate scholarship, research and development, and knowledge management.