Terms of Service

Welcome to the SEARCA Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources (AFNR) Knowledge Platform (“Platform”), operated by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).

By accessing or using the Platform at https://knowledgeplatform.searca.org/, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service (“Terms”). If you do not agree with these Terms, please do not use the Platform.

The SEARCA AFNR Knowledge Platform provides access to agricultural, forestry, and natural resources knowledge, research, policy information, data, digital resources, events, and collaborative opportunities relevant to Southeast Asia.

The Platform may include knowledge products, Knowledge Watch briefs, AFNR Insights, news and policy updates, country agricultural profiles, data resources, events, communities of practice, and other services or features that may be added or modified from time to time.

The Platform enables users to contribute knowledge resources and participate in discussions.

Information you voluntarily publish—including discussion posts, comments, uploaded documents, presentations, datasets, or other contributions—may be visible to other registered users or the public, depending on the settings of the Platform.

Please avoid posting confidential or sensitive personal information in pub

You agree to use the Platform only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms.

You may:

• access and browse publicly available content for personal, academic, research, educational, policy, or professional purposes;
• download or share materials where such use is permitted;
• cite or reference Platform content with appropriate attribution; and
• participate in available community, subscription, or other interactive features in accordance with applicable rules.

You must not:

• use the Platform for unlawful, fraudulent, or harmful activities;
• reproduce, modify, distribute, or commercially exploit protected content without appropriate authorization;
• misrepresent information or impersonate another person or organization;
• interfere with the security, operation, or availability of the Platform;
• introduce malicious code, viruses, or other harmful technologies;
• attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Platform or its systems; or
• use automated means to scrape, harvest, or systematically collect Platform content without prior written authorization.

lic areas of the website.

Unless otherwise stated, the Platform, its design, branding, logos, original text, graphics, databases, and other materials are owned by or licensed to SEARCA and are protected by applicable intellectual property laws.

Individual publications, datasets, images, research outputs, and other materials may be subject to separate copyright, licensing, or attribution requirements. Users are responsible for observing the applicable terms associated with each resource.

Nothing in these Terms grants users ownership of SEARCA’s intellectual property.

Where permitted, users may quote, reproduce, or share portions of Platform content for non-commercial, educational, research, or policy purposes provided that proper acknowledgment is given to SEARCA and the original author or source.

The Platform may contain links to external websites, publications, databases, organizations, or other third-party resources.

These links are provided for information and convenience. SEARCA does not necessarily endorse or control third-party websites or their content, policies, products, or services.

Users should review the terms and privacy policies of third-party websites before using them.

SEARCA endeavors to provide accurate, relevant, and timely information. However, information available through the Platform may be derived from research, government agencies, international organizations, partner institutions, publicly available datasets, and other sources.

The information is provided for general knowledge, research, educational, and policy-support purposes and should not be considered a substitute for professional, legal, financial, technical, or other specialized advice.

SEARCA does not guarantee that all information is complete, current, error-free, or suitable for every particular purpose.

Users are responsible for independently verifying information before relying on it for decisions, policies, investments, research, or other activities.

Data and statistics presented through the Platform may originate from SEARCA and/or external sources. Where applicable, the Platform identifies the original source and relevant methodological information.

Users who reproduce or analyze Platform data should provide appropriate attribution and should not present modified, transformed, or interpreted data as official statistics of SEARCA or the original data provider.

Certain Platform features may allow users to submit comments, information, questions, materials, or other content.

By submitting content, you represent that:

• you have the necessary rights and permissions to submit the content;
• the content does not violate applicable laws or the rights of others; and
• the content does not contain malicious software or otherwise compromise the Platform.

SEARCA reserves the right to review, moderate, remove, or decline to publish submitted content that violates these Terms or applicable policies.

Users retain ownership of their original content, subject to any permissions or licenses separately agreed upon when submitting such content.

Participation in the Platform’s Community of Practice and other collaborative spaces is subject to respectful and professional conduct.

Users must not post content that is unlawful, defamatory, discriminatory, threatening, abusive, misleading, or unrelated to the purpose of the community.

SEARCA may moderate or remove content and may suspend or restrict participation where necessary to protect the integrity and safety of the community.

The Platform may provide newsletters, research bulletins, alerts, or other communications to users who voluntarily subscribe.

By subscribing, you consent to receiving the selected communications from SEARCA.

You may unsubscribe at any time through the unsubscribe mechanism provided in the relevant communication or by contacting SEARCA.

SEARCA respects the privacy of individuals who use the Platform.

Personal information collected through the Platform, including information submitted through registration, subscription, contact, event, or community features, will be handled in accordance with SEARCA’s applicable Privacy Policy and relevant data protection and privacy laws.

A separate Privacy Policy should be maintained and linked prominently from the Platform.

SEARCA aims to maintain the availability and functionality of the Platform but does not guarantee that it will always be available, uninterrupted, secure, or free from errors.

SEARCA may temporarily suspend, modify, restrict, or discontinue portions of the Platform for maintenance, security, technical, operational, or other legitimate reasons.

Users must not attempt to circumvent security controls, interfere with Platform infrastructure, or access systems, accounts, data, or functions for which they are not authorized.

SEARCA may take appropriate technical or legal measures against activities that threaten the security or integrity of the Platform.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the Platform and its content are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis.

SEARCA makes no express or implied warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, reliability, availability, suitability, or fitness for a particular purpose of Platform content or services.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, SEARCA shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or other damages arising from or related to:

• use of or inability to use the Platform;
• reliance on information or data available through the Platform;
• errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in content;
• interruption or unavailability of the Platform; or
• third-party websites, services, or content accessed through the Platform.

Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded under applicable law.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, users agree to indemnify and hold SEARCA, its officers, personnel, and authorized representatives harmless from claims, losses, liabilities, damages, or expenses arising from the user’s unlawful use of the Platform, violation of these Terms, or infringement of the rights of another person or organization.

SEARCA may suspend or terminate a user’s access to interactive or restricted Platform features if the user violates these Terms, applicable laws, or relevant community rules.

SEARCA may also modify, suspend, or discontinue Platform services at any time when reasonably necessary.

Provisions relating to intellectual property, disclaimers, limitations of liability, and other provisions that by their nature should survive termination shall remain effective.

SEARCA may update these Terms from time to time to reflect changes in the Platform, applicable laws, services, or organizational policies.

The updated version will be posted on the Platform with the revised “Last Updated” date. Continued use of the Platform after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

These Terms shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the applicable laws of the Republic of the Philippines, without prejudice to applicable international agreements or institutional arrangements governing SEARCA.

Any dispute arising from or relating to these Terms shall be subject to the applicable jurisdiction of the courts of the Philippines, unless otherwise required by law or applicable institutional arrangements.

For questions, concerns, permissions, copyright inquiries, or other matters relating to these Terms, please contact:

Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources (AFNR) Knowledge Platform
Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA)
College, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines

Email: rtld@searca.org
Website: https://knowledgeplatform.searca.org/

By accessing and using the SEARCA AFNR Knowledge Platform, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms of Service.