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With 80 percent of the population living in rural areas, agriculture remains the main source of employment in Cambodia. However, poor and very poor rural households, which include the large majority of female-headed households, generally have little land and livestock, and food insecurity remains a reality. Improving the production techniques of these households in rice and other crops, and boosting commercial linkages between smallholder farmers and buyers both require enhanced agricultural and business support services, an initial capital base, and sustainable access to financial services. Illiteracy, poor financial literacy, the lack of assets and high transaction costs impede the access of the rural poor, particularly women, to such services. A package of interventions was therefore designed to address this. The overall objective of PADEE was to improve the livelihoods, income-generating capacities and food security of 68 200 poor rural households in 246 communes in 33 districts in the five selected provinces of Kampot, Kandal, Prey Veng, SvayRiengand Takeo. The component supported by FAO on improved access to rural finance had a target of 49 200 beneficiaries/households, at least 50 percent of whom would be women.

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