SEARCA Photo Contest 2023

The impacts of climate change are becoming more severe over the world, to the point where UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on July 21, 2023, “We are past the era of global warming and we are now experiencing global boiling.” UN Secretary-General Guterres used those words to call for urgent measures to halt the trend, comparing the hotter-than-usual July to temperatures over the course of the century. According to a research released by the Annual Review of Environment and Resources (2012), the food systems generate 19–29% of the global greenhouse gas emissions through methane and nitrous oxide, putting the agricultural sector under pressure. Fortunately, the agricultural industry has the key to solving the climate change conundrum. Agriculture may contribute to the fight against climate change by modifying farming methods in accordance with the circular economy and carbon farming principles from the farm to the family dinner table.

The 17th SEARCA Photo Contest (2023), with the theme Regenerating agri-ecosystems, lowering “global boiling,” seeks Southeast Asian images that highlight agricultural practises and technologies that lessen pressure on natural resources, combat climate change, and recycle or re-use byproducts to reduce waste. Ideal photo entries would feature farmers and farming families, scientists, creators, even young people employing technology and methods in the field. The visuals could be a result of crop cultivation, livestock and animal husbandry, or fisheries experimentation or production in the agricultural sector.

Photos may depict technologies and practices:

• That increase productivity, yield or income for farmers and farming families in crop cultivation, livestock, or fishery while reducing wastes;
• That make crops or livestock more sustainable and resilient against unfavourable environments such as drought, flood, and salinity as well as resistant to pests and diseases among other stresses;
• That are developed by local communities or the youth using indigenous materials or tribal knowledge that aims to conserve resources or reduce, re-use, or recycle farm wastes;
• And images that foster partnerships resulting in breakthrough agricultural technologies and innovations or sustainable knowledge and technology transfer to farmers and farming communities.

Criteria for Judging:

• Relevance to the theme: 40%
• Technical quality (clarity, use of tones and colour, photographic composition): 30%
• Impact (regional flavour): 30%
  TOTAL: 100%