Increasing diversification with 'Cambodia HARVEST' (Helping Address Rural Vulnerabilities and Ecosystem STability)

Cambodia HARVEST is a USAID initiative that engages with poor rural populations to implement practice change for improved productivity, food nutrition and diversity. In doing so it seeks to enable improved food security, facilitate sustainable natural resource management, and minimise environmental degradation. The initiative also acts to increase the capacity of the public and private sectors to support agricultural competitiveness. Cambodian HARVEST has had success in utilising lead famers to extend best practice implementation of diverse vegetable production within the rice production rotation. Investment in labour saving technologies such as direct seeding and low cost drip irrigation, together with private sector support to create seed multiplication capacity, has made the transition to seasonal horticulture possible. The formation of grower groups which can create greater scales of production help lower input costs and maximise negotiation strength with traders and buyers. As a result of the Cambodia HARVEST program, farmers who have diversified their cropping enterprises report substantial gains in income where the consumption of nutritious vegetable crops provides benefits to many farmers and their communities.