SEARCA invites Southeast Asian nationals, including the academic community of the Faculty of Agriculture, USU, to participate in the 20th SEARCA Photo Contest 2026 with the theme “Food for All, Food for the Future.” Participants are invited to capture various stories about people, innovation, and food systems that support food security and a sustainable future. The submission period is open until September 30, 2026, with a First Prize of USD 1,000.

Medan, September 18, 2026 — Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) invites the academic community of the Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sumatera Utara (FP USU), to participate in the 20th SEARCA Photo Contest 2026 with the theme “Food for All, Food for the Future.”

The competition is open to all Southeast Asian nationals, including Indonesia, to capture various stories about communities, activities, innovations, and systems that support the availability of nutritious, safe, accessible, resilient, and sustainable food.

Sub-Themes

Participants can develop their work based on one of the following sub-themes:

Nourishing Families and Communities
Markets, Movement, and Access
Safe Food, Healthy Lives
Innovation for Future Food Security
Climate-Ready Food Systems
Women in Food and Agriculture

Prizes

🏆 First Prize: USD 1,000 + Certificate
🏆 Second Prize: USD 800 + Certificate
🏆 Third Prize: USD 500 + Certificate
🏆 SEARCA Center Director’s Choice: USD 500 + Certificate

Key Requirements

1. Open to Southeast Asian nationals, except SEARCA staff and their immediate family members.
2. Participants may submit an unlimited number of entries.
3. Photos must be original works and must not have previously won or been submitted to other competitions during the contest period.
4. Photos must be real photographs and may not use AI-generated or AI-composited images or heavy digital manipulation.
5. Photos must be in JPEG format, in color, with at least 3,000 pixels on the longest side at 300 dpi.
6. Each entry must include participant information, a photo description of no more than 400 characters in English, the sub-theme, location, and date the photo was taken.

Timeline and Submission

📅 Period: July 16–September 30, 2026
⏰ Deadline: September 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. GMT+8

Entries can be submitted through the official website:

photocontest.searca.org/2026

Further information regarding the contest guidelines, mechanism, and requirements can be found on the website. For submission-related issues, participants can contact.

Let's capture stories about food, agriculture, and Southeast Asian communities through photography to build a more resilient and sustainable food future.