Heifer International (Cambodia)

While almost 75% of people in Cambodia are employed in agriculture, decades of civil war and economic stagnation have hampered production for the nation’s smallholder farmers. A lack of tools and resources, including market information, technology and financial services, prevent farmers and their communities from investing in and scaling their agribusinesses and competing in larger markets. Though demand for chicken, vegetables and other agricultural commodities has increased in recent years, the potential benefits are not being maximized.

Heifer Cambodia’s goal is to help 300,000 farming families optimize their production and earn a sustainable living income by 2030.

We partner with smallholder farmers in 14 provinces, investing in market-led, inclusive agricultural value chains and supporting farmers and their communities to envision their own path toward economic development.

This work includes strengthening self-help groups and farmers’ cooperatives to function as agricultural business entities. These strong networks enable individual farmers to join forces to share skills, increase production of goods, access financial capital and improve market access.

In 2021, we collaborated with the Cambodian government’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to form a Social Entrepreneurs Union of Agricultural Cooperatives (SEUAC), an organization of 15 cooperatives across six provinces engaged in our Poultry Project of National Pride in Cambodia. The SEUAC works at the national level to broaden access to agriculture-related services, improve production quality and capacity, develop infrastructure and advocate for the interests of farmers.

Across the country, our initiatives advance women and youth leaders; increase food security; build agricultural skills and investment; integrate micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises into domestic market systems; promote technology and renewable energy; and foster sustainable community development at the local and provincial levels.