Deadline: September 30, 2026
Applications are open for the 20th SEARCA Photo Contest 2026. Themed “Food for All, Food for the Future,” the 20th Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Photo Contest invites Southeast Asian photographers to capture the people and systems that keep food nourishing, safe, accessible, resilient, and ready for the future.
This 20th edition marks a milestone in SEARCA’s visual storytelling on agriculture and rural development. For two decades, the contest has shown the labor, beauty, urgency, and hope of agriculture across the region. This year, it asks a timely question: how do we ensure food for all today while building food systems fit for tomorrow?
Prizes
- First Prize: $1,000 and a Certificate
- Second Prize: $800 and a Certificate
- Third Prize: $500 and a Certificate
- SEARCA Center Director’s Choice: $500 and a Certificate
Eligibility
- Open to all Southeast Asian nationals, except SEARCA staff and their immediate family members.
- Entries must be digital, colored, in JPEG format, and at least 3,000 pixels wide for a horizontal image or 3,000 pixels tall for a vertical image at 300 dpi.
Judging Criteria
Photos will be judged based on the following criteria:
- Relevance to the theme and sub-theme: 40%
- Technical quality: 30%
- Impact, storytelling, authenticity, and public communication value: 30%
Application
Entries must be submitted through the official SEARCA Photo Contest website by 30 September 2026, 11:59 p.m. (GMT+8).
Each entry must include the following details in English:
- Photographer’s full name, age range, and sex at birth
- Photographer’s country of citizenship
- Photographer’s professional status
- Brief description of the photo (maximum of 400 characters)
- Sub-theme entered
- Place where the photo was taken, including country
- Complete date photo was taken
For more information, visit SEARCA Photo Contest.
