Agriculture and Food Security

Nearly 61 percent of Cambodians live in rural areas, and 77 percent of rural households rely on agriculture, fisheries, and forestry for their livelihoods. Cambodian farmers are extremely vulnerable to climate change-induced increases in temperatures, changes in rainfall patterns, and extreme weather events. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, 45 percent of Cambodians live in moderate or severe food insecurity. In response, USAID strives to broaden inclusive and sustainable economic growth through partnerships with the private sector that modernize the agriculture sector, increase incomes, and improve nutritional outcomes.

RESULTS

Over the past five years USAID has:

• Leveraged more than $20 million in private sector investments to increase effective and sustainable outcomes, solve development challenges, and address barriers to inclusive economic growth and accountable governance.
• Assisted farmers to increase their sales by more than $68 million, enabling Cambodian farmers to reinvest in equipment, farming inputs, and to extend their markets.
• Helped over 193,000 farmers (53% female) to apply new and improved agricultural practices on 7,000 hectares of land.
• Trained over 230,000 people (70% female) to improve their nutrition practices.
• Helped 131 students (45% female) to pursue long-term training, including Associate, Bachelor, MSc, and PhD degrees in agriculture, food security, or environment-related sectors.
• Helped more than 14,000 farmers and other small and medium enterprises receive access to credit.
• Generated $109 million in sales by horticultural producers and private firms through strengthened commercial relationships with buyers and improved access to supporting services.