13/12/2022

DFCD supports regenerative agriculture practices in Cambodia

Allowing Amru Rice; a rice trading company, to introduce regenerative agriculture practices.

The Dutch Fund for Climate and Development (DFCD) investment committee, a multicounty climate adaptation and mitigation programme, will support Amru Rice; a rice trading company, to introduce regenerative agriculture practices.

The DFCD committee has approved a project proposal to support the development of an investment proposal that will allow Amru Rice Co., Ltd to introduce new agriculture practices, which are expected to improve soil health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Cambodia.

As a result, SNV intends to sign a EUR 243,750 grant funding agreement with Amru Rice to support the development of the investment proposal and a technical assistance package.

Incorporating regenerative and conservation agriculture practices into everyday farming activities will benefit smallholder farmers by increasing their yields and income and reducing vulnerability.

This project has a Rio-Marker 2 score for adaptation as it introduces climate-resilient farming methods suitable for Cambodia. It is in line with the long-term strategy for carbon neutrality issued by the Kingdom of Cambodia. The plan was introduced following commitments made during the COP26 to become carbon-neutral by 2050.

The outputs of the origination project will include the following:

  • Emission Reduction Methodology Assessment to ensure best practices in regenerative agriculture are chosen and localised for the Cambodian landscapes.

  • Smallholder farmer benefits assessment to understand the needs of farmers, primarily in rural areas, and determine the level of support needed

  • Implementing regenerative agriculture on smallholder farmer plots of land in three provinces (Praeh Vihear, Battambang, and Mondulkiri)

  • Preliminary Environmental and Safety (E&S) safeguards and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) assessments and action plans to ensure risks to vulnerable populations’ needs are well understood and managed.

The expected outcomes of the investment proposal will be:

  • Sequestered 92,000 tons of CO2 eq per annum when it reaches scale.

  • 70,000 hectares of production land under sustainable and climate-resilient management.

  • 40,000 direct beneficiaries, of which 20,000 are women.

About the DFCD

The Dutch Fund for Climate and Development is a 160 million Euro fund from The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs to improve the resiliency of the most vulnerable landscapes, ecosystems, and communities through climate change adaptation. The DFCD is managed by a pioneering consortium of Climate Fund Managers (CFM), Worldwide Fund for Nature Netherlands (WWF-NL) and SNV, led by the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank, FMO. For more information, please visit the DFCD website.

About SNV

SNV is a mission-driven global development partner working in more than 20 countries across Africa and Asia. Building on 60 years of experience and grounded in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we work on the core themes of gender equality and social inclusion, climate adaptation and mitigation, and strong institutions and effective governance. Together with our team of over 1,600 people, our mission is to strengthen capacities and catalyse partnerships that transform the agri-food, energy, and water systems, which enable sustainable and more equitable lives for all.

About Amru Rice Co., Ltd.

Founded in 2011, Amru Rice started as a rice trading company with a vision to become a leading agribusiness in sustainable, ethical, and responsible agriculture. Over the following years, Amru has invested in its own facilities to become a more vertically integrated agribusiness with mills in Phnom Penh, Kompong Thon, and Battambong provinces. With over 100 employees, Amru sells its products to over 30 countries, with its main markets located in the EU, Australia, US, and parts of Asia. Amru is the largest organic rice exporter from Cambodia to the EU.

To read the full disclosure document, please click here.

For more information and if you want to share any confidential information you may have regarding the intended project or company, please contact:

SNV - Dutch Fund for Climate and Development: Mr. Alex Downs, adowns@snv.org