Summary : After its organization in 2013, the Regional SEARCA Alumni Association (RSAA) has held three regional conferences in Lao PDR (2013), Timor-Leste (2015), and Indonesia (2016), in collaboration with the in-country SEARCA alumni associations. To continue SEARCA’s initiatives of bringing together the alumni in the region, SEARCA and RSAA organized the 4th regional conference with the theme Food Security, Climate Change and Poverty Reduction: Initiatives towards Sustainable Agriculture and Resilient Communities in Southeast Asia.

The main objective of the conference was to discuss initiatives of the SEARCA alumni toward addressing the pressing issues of food insecurity, poverty, and climate change impacts in the region. Specifically, the conference aimed to: 1. provide an avenue for sharing initiatives and experiences in addressing food insecurity, climate change impacts and poverty; 2. facilitate sharing of information, practices, knowledge and skills generated from research and development activities; and 3. create awareness on the role of the SEARCA alumni in inclusive and sustainable agricultural and rural development.