Strengthening the climate resilience of agriculture in Cambodia and Viet Nam

Project Description

Title: Strengthening the resilience of poor population groups to climate change in selected ASEAN states, taking special account of the impact of COVID-19 in Cambodia and Viet Nam
Commisioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Cambodia, Viet Nam
Lead executing agency: 
Cambodia: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) 
Viet Nam: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)
Overall term: 2021 to 2024

Context

The agriculture and food sector is an important element of the economies of both Cambodia and Viet Nam: up to 70 per cent of the population work in agriculture. However, long-term climate change is posing new challenges: crop failures due to extreme weather events are becoming more common. The region is also particularly affected by drought and flooding.

Crop failures mean that small farmers are frequently unable to supply sufficient quantities to the companies that buy and process their produce. This results in loss of income and a long-term deterioration in living conditions. This also means that companies are unable to meet their international delivery commitments. This impacts adversely on their reputation and cuts income and profits.

At the same time, the population is becoming increasingly aware of the adverse impacts of climate change. More and more people recognise the need for action: they are already affected by extreme weather events and could be significantly harder hit in the future. This has created an opportunity to apply new knowledge of sustainable cropping practices and to make more effective use of climate information for agriculture. Cooperation with the private sector also presents opportunities: the private sector can help achieve sustainable, high-quality production, enter into fair, long-term agreements with small farmers, and adapt the entire value chain.

Objective

Climate resilience – resilience to climate change – is enhanced in selected agricultural value chains in the project regions.

Approach

The project targets small farmers in Cambodia and Viet Nam. The target group was selected based on factors like poverty and vulnerability.
The project operates in four fields of activity:

  1. It aims to familiarise small farmers with climate-resilient production methods for cassava, cashew nuts and coffee and to encourage them to test these methods and to use them more widely. 
  2. It helps to train the companies that purchase and process agricultural produce as mediators in the dissemination of adapted cultivation methods. These companies will then play an active role in establishing climate-resilient methods across value chains.
  3. It familiarises public and private-sector actors with the issue of climate resilience and fosters national dialogue. With the involvement of research facilities, the project provides climate data and research results specific to individual value chains.
  4. It processes experience gained at the national level and makes it available through regional dialogues. The regional dialogue will use existing platforms and specialist associations, as well as ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) working groups.

Last update: March 2021