By Yang Saing Koma (CEDAC) Family Agriculture: Potential Sector for Sustainable Rural Development in Cambodia By Yang Saing Koma (CEDAC)

Why family agriculture is important in Cambodia Around 2.2mil. families in Cambodia. Around 75 to 80 % of them are small farmer families, mainly rice farmers Family agriculture absorbs about 60 to 70 % of active workforce; ensures national food security, and contributes significantly to GDP. It is the biggest private sector in Cambodia ! Symbol of our cultural identity, contribution to rural landscape diversity (Natural and cultural beauty of rural areas) The socio-economic and political stability of the nation depend on the wellbeing of the small farmers !

Potential of family agriculture Family agriculture ensure food security and employment opportunity, especially for the growing number of young people Vast land resources can be used for development of family agriculture (ca. 3 mill ha) Growing demand on local agriculture products, especially for organic product Competitiveness of ecological-based family agriculture in replacing import and in export, especially by delivering organic product, such as organic traditional rice varieties

CEDAC and Partner’s Experiences CEDAC: 14 provinces, 1000 villages, 900 farmer groups, Farmer and Nature Net (FNN) consisting of 250 village-based farmer association (and it is growing) Productivity/income is double; transition from subsistence to subsistence and market oriented sector through capacity building (human capital) in developing innovation in ecological agriculture and in producer/marketing organizations and community-based finance services (social and financial capital) For example, SRI farmers produce surplus of good quality rice for the market, and SRI enables them to devote parts of rice field for diversification

Recommendation for Rural Development Policies and Strategies Investment in participatory research and extension in ecological agriculture Support the development of genuine democratic producer/marketing organization and agriculture related small and community-based enterprises. Allocating land for absorbing growing farming population rather than allocating to private concession for large-scale agri-business. Let‘s achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) through ecological-based family agriculture