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Our Story

The Southeast Asia Regional Initiatives for Community Empowerment (SEARICE) is a duly registered non-government organization based in the Philippines and implements projects in several countries in Southeast Asia (SEA).

It started as a “circle of friends” in 1977 among activists from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. These activists initially shared experiences and supported each other in helping empower grassroots communities at a time when dictatorship and authoritarian regimes ruled the region. Eventually, SEARICE was registered as a non-government organization in 1981. Since then, SEARICE has evolved into an action-oriented, policy advocacy-driven, and research-based organization focused on science, technology, and information on agricultural biodiversity and the protection of farmers’ rights. Its programs follow a model of convergence of ideas and efforts among the grassroots, government institutions, and private entities.

On the ground, our primary target partners are men and women farmers, particularly those from disadvantaged agricultural communities. Our partners at the institutional level are local and national governments, civil society organizations, research groups, and the academe, which make up the core of our support system.

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