Cambodia’s agriculture minister Dith Tina and EU ambassador to Cambodia Igor Driesmans led a Cambodia and “Team Europe” mission to the north-eastern provinces of Tboung Khmum, Kratie and Stung Treng on 17–18 August.
The delegation included the ambassadors of the Czech Republic, Romania and Croatia, as well as deputy heads of mission from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland and Switzerland, the EU Delegation to Cambodia said on Monday.
Representatives from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), German development agency GIZ and WWF also took part.
In Tboung Khmum, the group visited the Chiro Rung Roeung Agricultural Community, supported by the EU-backed Agriculture Services Programme for an Inclusive Rural Economy and Agricultural Trade (ASPIRE-AT), where it observed the use of “climate-smart” farming techniques and market-linkage work.
In Kratie, the mission visited the Mekong dolphin conservation zone managed by Cambodia’s Fisheries Administration and WWF, supported by Belgium and the EU, where conservation work is linked to income generation for local residents.
In Stung Treng, delegates visited Handcrafted Cashew Nuts Stung Treng, the Chambak Agricultural Community and project sites under the EU-German Cambodia Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems (CAPSAFE), which supports post-harvest processing and quality assurance.
Focus on cashew, pepper and export standards
Cambodia is shifting “from basic farming to commercial production” through Modern Agricultural Communities and contract farming to provide steady supplies to processors, Dith Tina said.
Work with the EU and other partners is raising food safety standards and sustainability for crops including cashew and pepper, he added.
Team Europe is investing in “technical expertise, food safety, and processing systems” linked to Cambodian cashew and pepper value chains under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, Driesmans said.
The work enables agribusinesses to make higher-value products and expand into premium export markets.
CAPSAFE is a €24.3 million initiative running from 2024 to 2029, funded by €17 million from the EU and €7.3 million from Germany, and implemented by GIZ and People in Need.
The programme includes support for 6,000 farmers and work with 40 small and medium-sized enterprises.
ASPIRE-AT is a €20.06 million EU grant programme running from 2024 to 2030, complemented by €60 million from the European Investment Bank and €45 million from IFAD, and is implemented by Cambodia’s agriculture ministry with IFAD.
Separately, Belgium and the EU have supported efforts to protect the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin in the Mekong River through a programme jointly implemented by Cambodia’s Fisheries Administration and WWF from 2017 to 2026, including training and equipping river guards and carrying out patrols.
