Host Country

Cambodia

Highlights

Farmer Field Schools increase agricultural productivity in Cambodia

Beneficiaries

5 063 farmers from 6 provinces

Commencement Date

2004

Background

• The majority of Cambodians are subsistence farmers who depend on their own capacity to meet food requirements. As a result, ongoing natural and man-made challenges from seasonal flooding to low levels of education are a constant hindrance to raising the quality of life. In Cambodia, poverty and food insecurity are interlinked.
• Between 1997 and 2002, the SPFS was successfully implemented by the Government of Cambodia to help meet Cambodia’s food security challenges. In 2004, the program was extended with US$1.127 million in proceeds from the UN Human Security Trust Fund.
• The extension of the SPFS has been implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in collaboration with the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology and the Ministry of Rural Development. The FAO provides managerial and technical support.

Goals

To increase agricultural productivity in Cambodia so that farmers can devote time to land diversification – thus decreasing the shocks attributed to natural and man-made disasters.

Activities

The programme uses the Farmer Field School concept. Using the community approach, Farmer Field Schools identify the needs of poor farmers and then develop a learning curriculum. Farmers learn by doing, through experimentation, discussion and decision-making. Subject matter revolved around agronomy, livestock, small-scale inland aquaculture and irrigation. 5 063 farmers from 6 provinces participated (of which 56% are women) in 180 Farmer Field Schools.

Results

• A total of 346 savings groups in 179 villages have been developed to finance income generating plans to apply the techniques they learned from the Farmer Field Schools. Plans are mostly related to the improvement of food security.
• Community micro projects were initiated in the 179 villages. The community micro projects were managed by village advisory committees, elected by the community and supported by the FAO. The committee, along with the village, identified a food security related project that would benefit the community. As a result, 73 rice banks, 106 fertilizer banks and one well construction unit were formed.