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Agriculture and Rural Development

(i) Introduction

Family agriculture plays an important role in Cambodia providing employment opportunities for around two thirds of the population and contributing to national food security and the economy. In addition, it has important cultural and environmental values and functions for Cambodian Society. Under the fast changing political, economic and technological context, there is an increasing threat to the sustainability and productivity of family agriculture.

(ii) Key issues

The main issues of concern in relation to agriculture and rural development are:

In spite of the importance and the threat to family agriculture, there is no clear priority and program relating to pro-small farmer agricultural development as the government has instead focused on agribusiness and large-scale agriculture in the poverty reduction strategy.

(iii) Recommendations

We would recommend that the government and donor community work with the private sector, NGOs and rural farmers to develop policies and programs for the promotion of small farmers and ecologically friendly agriculture development. We strongly believe that the economic and socio-political stability of Cambodia depends mainly on the improvement of the livelihood of around 2.5 million small farmers’ families. In this regard, we would propose the following specific recommendations:

For more information on the issues raised in this paper, please contact:

Centre d’Etude et de Developpement Agricole Cambodgien (CEDAC),

Tel: 023 880-916, Email: cedac@camnet.com.kh

Lutheran World Federation Cambodia Program, E-mail: prog@lwfcam.org.kh

 

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[1] According to the government sub decree from October 1998, all class I pesticides are banned in Cambodia. But, the enforcement has been not effective.
[2] Endosulfan was banned in March 2003 by the Ministry of Agriculture at the request of the Ministry of Health. DDT belongs to class II pesticides, and it is in the list of Stockholm Convention on Organic Pollutants, POPs (Cambodia is a signatory to this convention).
[3] For example, EJF (2002), Death in small doses: Cambodia’s pesticides problems and solutions, Environmental Justice Foundation, London, UK; CEDAC (2003), Pesticides Use in Cambodia, CEDAC Field Document, Centre d’Etude et de Développement Agricole Cambodgien, Phnom Penh
[4] Yang Saing Koma (2001), Farmer Experimentation in System of Rice Intensification (SRI): Results of Wet Season 2000, Phnom Penh; Yang Saing Koma (2002), Ecological Sysem of Rice Intensification (SRI) in Cambodia, Results and Field Experiences in 2000-2001, Phnom Penh; Yang Saing Koma, (2003), Ecological System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in Cambodia, Results and Field Experiences in 2002, Phnom Penh; Uphoff, N. (2003), Report from SRI visit to Cambodia, Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development, Ithaca, New York, USA