Cashew nut processing at a factory in Kampong Thom province in November 2023. Hong Menea
A recent workshop held in Phnom Penh discussed findings and policy recommendations aimed at enhancing decent work and social protection coverage in the agrifood sector.
The event highlighted the critical role of formalisation in improving the livelihoods of farmers and workers and in driving economic diversification, according to a July 29 International Labour Organisation (ILO) press release.
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The event was attended by key representatives from various ministries and featured discussions by members of employers’, workers’ and farmers’ organisations and academia, sharing experiences from various provinces on crop production, including cashew nuts and cassava.
Meas Pyseth, undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, highlighted the government's proactive approach.
“Recognising the potential and numerous challenges in the informal economy, the government has organised and issued a national strategy for [its] development.
“The improvement and development of the informal economy through the protection of workers and enterprises, as well as strengthening their capabilities and increasing their productivity, has been determined as the highest priority in contributing to the improvement of the people’s living standards and boosting the national economy,” he was quoted as saying in the release.
The statement noted that the sector faces significant difficulties, particularly for enterprises transitioning to formalisation.
Sok Sotha, chief executive of the Cambodian Farmer Federation Association of Agricultural Producers (CFAP) pointed out that, "The main challenges are lack of capital and resilience to climate change. Farmers cannot improve their storage and production capacities, nor purchase machinery for packaging and labelling.”
Diep Piseth from Kampong Thom’s provincial agriculture department noted, "On top of [this], input prices are still too high for our producers. There is an issue of affordability of seeds, seedlings, fertilisers and pesticides, and so farmers are less productive."
The workshop was organised with the support of the International Labour Organization (ILO) through its “Advancing Social Protection in Cambodia” project, funded by the EU, and OXFAM’s “Improved Social Protection and Labour Rights for Women Workers in ASEAN’s Agrifood Sector” initiative, funded by the Belgian directorate-general for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD).
Bryan Fornari, head of cooperation at the EU Delegation to Cambodia, emphasised that, “Prioritising decent working conditions, upholding human rights and adhering to environmental best practices can significantly boost the competitiveness and market access of Cambodian agricultural and food products.”
According to the press release, there is a pressing need to expand social protection coverage for farmers and workers alongside significant opportunities for the agrifood sector to innovate and increase productivity.
Discussions at the workshop covered various approaches to enhancing cooperative capacities, adapting the social security system to the agrifood sector's needs and scaling up domestic processing industries.
It noted that the Cambodian National Strategy for Informal Economy Development 2023-2028 underscores the importance of creating a more supportive business environment. It said this strategy aims to promote structural reforms and facilitate the transition to formalisation, thereby fostering economic development, inclusiveness and resilience to crises.
Agrifood businesses, agricultural communities and workers are prioritised in the strategy, which seeks to create a sustainable, inclusive and resilient agrifood sector that maximises its economic potential, as per the release.
