Cambodia

Country Context

Agriculture is a cornerstone of Cambodia’s economy and provides livelihoods to most of the country’s rural population. As an industry, agriculture is mainly subsistence based, with farming heavily oriented toward household consumption and made vulnerable to shocks such as natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, a lack of tools, resources, infrastructure and access to financial services prevents smallholder farmers from growing their operations and accessing larger markets. Although agriculture has been identified as an industry that can drive development progress, the potential benefits of the sector have not been maximized.

According to Cambodia’s most recent agricultural census, about 54 percent of households engage in agriculture. Most agricultural households grow crops, including vegetables and fruit, while many also raise livestock or poultry, or rely on fisheries and aquaculture, particularly in rural and flood-prone areas. Despite this scale and diversity, production remains largely small scale, with limited access to inputs, services and formal markets. Greater investment across crop production, livestock and poultry systems and fisheries can improve incomes and build resilience for rural families, with agricultural cooperatives playing an important role by organizing producers, expanding market participation and supporting food security and economic opportunity in rural communities.

Our Response

Heifer Cambodia supports and invests in smallholder farmers and their communities, developing market-led agricultural value chains in 14 provinces. This work is based on forging robust partnerships with cooperatives, government bodies, the private sector and financial service providers to create a supportive ecosystem for agricultural development. Our approach strengthens the institutional capacities of self-help groups and cooperatives, improving their effectiveness as business entities. It facilitates financing for infrastructure improvements and other investments and expands smallholder farmers’ agricultural productivity and access to buyers, bolstering their competitiveness in both local and premium markets.

In 2021, we collaborated with the Cambodian government’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to form the Social Entrepreneurs Union of Agricultural Cooperatives, an organization of 15 cooperatives across six provinces engaged in our Poultry Project of National Pride in Cambodia. The union works nationally to broaden access to agricultural services, upgrade production quality and capacity, develop infrastructure and advocate for farmers’ interests.

Our primary objective is helping families achieve a sustainable living income, our measure for the amount of money required for a decent life — including safe shelter, nutritious food, clothing, education and health care — while also reaching additional benchmarks for economic and climate resilience.

The Cambodia Signature Programs

Heifer International’s work is organized at the country level into Signature Programs focused on a large-scale, measurable and sustainable impact achieved by building partnerships at all levels. Each program supports farmers through time-bound projects designed to increase their household income.

Cambodia Vegetable Value Chain Development

The Cambodia Vegetable Value Chain Development (CVCD) Signature Program is designed to reform vegetable farming using sustainable practices and advanced technologies such as superior seeds, solar water pumps, advanced grading, processing and packaging methods and digital business platforms. By 2027, this project will increase the productivity and market access of 10,150 households, increasing crop yields, promoting environmental sustainability and improving livelihoods.

Poultry Project of National Pride in Cambodia

The Poultry Project of National Pride in Cambodia Signature Program is working to restore Cambodia’s poultry industry by developing cooperative networks and integrating them into broader market systems. Targeting 88,300 households by 2026, this program improves the entire value chain from production to sale. It focuses on establishing infrastructure, such as processing operations and hatcheries, improving poultry health, breeding techniques, and market access to raise incomes for smallholder farmers, and promoting self-reliance in rural communities.