In today’s Cambodia, raising awareness about climate change and introducing technologies to increase production is not enough to help farmers minimize climate change impacts - the country is considered one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change impacts such as floods and droughts. Climate change adaptation must make business sense to smallholder farmers, whose subsistence depends on farming.

Without a properly functioning value chain, farmers can face the risk of limited availability of quality inputs, such as seeds and fertiliser or might lose income as a result of volatile markets. Such scenario highlights the importance of the complementary roles played by input suppliers, vegetable collectors, wholesalers, local markets, and processors across the value chain in optimizing climate change adaptation.

With this in mind, SNV worked along the vegetable value chain from the initial stages of production to the final stage of consumption. Paying special regard to female farmers, who make up nearly 75% of all agricultural labour in Cambodia, we worked with local farmers, emphasising the importance of  collective marketing and co-learning among them. To this effect, we collaborated  with our local partners: the Cambodian Farmers Association Federation of Agricultural Producers (CFAP), the Provincial Department of Agriculture, and farmer organization leaders.

The project aimed to create a sustainable value chain system, where farmers and other stakeholders can participate actively with assured benefits. This was achieved by building capacity at different stages of the value chain through:

1. Improving vegetable production techniques

2. Adding value through food processing for women

3. Building market linkages: An effective value

Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) was implemented in the Svay Rieng and Tboung Khmum provinces. The project increased the capacity of farmers, and female farmers in particular, to cope with the adverse effects of climate change, such as drought and flooding. Aside from conducting awareness raising campaigns on climate change andproviding training on farming techniques, the project also introduced climate smart technology, including raised-bed gardens with sprinkler-drip systems and tarpaulin lined ponds with rovai pumps. Additional activities in the cassava and rice value chain were undertaken, complementing other SNV projects (IBC and PADEE).