Sustainable Economic Growth

OVERVIEW

Cambodia maintains roughly 46 percent forest cover and is home to the third-largest lowland dry evergreen forest in Southeast Asia, with 2,300 plant species, 14 endangered animals, and one of seven elephant corridors left in the world. Deforestation and wildlife crimes continue to threaten Cambodia’s forests and biodiversity. USAID activities support communities to sustainably manage non-timber forest products, promote ecotourism, and expand climate-sensitive agriculture for improved livelihoods. These activities benefit local communities who receive revenue from carbon sequestration, build resilience to the impacts of climate change, and provide support to engage in sustainable forest management. Cambodia is widely recognized as both a major source and transit country for illegal wildlife trade; USAID supports the fight against wildlife trafficking in coordination with other U.S. government agencies.

USAID is transforming Cambodia’s agriculture sector into an engine for economic growth and food security through a market-based approach that partners with the private sector, by strengthening market-based agribusiness, promoting climate-smart, sustainable agricultural practices, and improving the well-being of the rural poor. Nearly 61 percent of Cambodians live in rural areas, and 77 percent of rural households rely on agriculture, fisheries, and forestry for their livelihoods. Cambodian farmers are extremely vulnerable to climate change-induced increases in temperatures, changes in rainfall patterns, and extreme weather events. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, 45 percent of Cambodians live in moderate or severe food insecurity. In response, USAID strives to broaden inclusive and sustainable economic growth through partnerships with the private sector that modernize the agriculture sector, increase incomes, and improve nutritional outcomes.

RESULTS

Over the past five years, USAID has:

Helped more than 318,000 people reap economic benefits of sustainable natural management and conservation.
Reduced over 25 million metric tons of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from deforestation and land use change.
Improved the management of natural resources of more than 3 million hectares of land.
Leveraged more than $20 million in private sector investments to increase effective and sustainable outcomes and address barriers to inclusive economic growth and accountable governance.
Assisted farmers to increase their sales by more than $68 million, enabling Cambodian farmers to reinvest in equipment, farming inputs, and to extend their markets.
Trained over 230,000 people (70 percent female) to improve their nutrition practices.
Helped more than 14,000 farmers and other small and medium enterprises receive access to credit.
Generated $109 million in sales by horticultural producers and private firms through strengthened commercial relationships with buyers and improved access to supporting services.

ACTIVITIES

Feed the Future Cambodia Harvest III - This five-year activity (April 2022 - March 2027) promotes sustainable, broad-based economic growth through increased diversification and competitiveness in Cambodia’s agriculture sector. The activity provides targeted demand-driven support to agricultural cooperatives, farmer associations, market actors, financial institutions, and/or micro-, small- and medium-enterprises investing to take advantage of domestic, regional, and international market opportunities. Furthermore, it focuses on integrating climate-smart agriculture approaches and solar green energy to increase food security and reduce the vulnerability of production loss from climate stress.

USAID Cambodia Green Future - This five-year activity (October 2019 - September 2024) empowers Cambodian citizens and civil society with the knowledge and skills to use evidence-based communication systems to influence positive actions to support biodiversity conservation, forest protection, and broad sustainable natural resource management. This activity has a national audience, and builds on successful models of communication throughout Cambodia that engage audiences to protect natural resources.

USAID Conserve - This five-year activity (November 2023 - November 2027) promotes the preservation and protection of biodiversity and natural resources in Cambodia’s coastal areas of Koh Kong and Kampong Som Provinces, the Prey Lang Extended Landscape, and around Tonle Sap’s flooded forest communities. USAID Conserve works on improving livelihoods at the community level, conducting Social Behavior Communication Change campaigns nationwide to counter wildlife trafficking and reduce bushmeat consumption, especially by foreign tourists in urban areas, and exploring options for bankable blue carbon as an additional source of emissions reduction credits along the coast and in flooded forests.

USAID Morodok Baitang - This five-year activity (November 2021 - November 2026) promotes biodiversity conservation, economic growth, natural resource governance, and low-emissions development. The activity supports strategic partnerships between rural indigenous communities, private sector actors, and development partners to increase revenue and employment opportunities while also supporting improved natural resources management, biodiversity protection, low emissions development, and inclusive decision-making for natural resource use and governance. The activity focuses on developing and expanding value chains that are conservation-friendly, climate smart and socially equitable, forest-based, agricultural-based, and use payment for ecosystem services.

USAID/Cambodia also funds complementary activities through USAID global and regional projects, including: