This document summarizes Cambodia's efforts to address food security and nutrition through coordinated strategies and programs. It discusses:
1) Cambodia's commitment to food security and coordination body CARD.
2) Key policies/strategies developed through participatory processes like the National Strategic Development Plan and Strategic Framework for Food Security and Nutrition.
3) Supporting structures established including the National Food Security Forum, TWG-FSN coordination group, and food security information system.
Design and implementation of food security strategies in Cambodia
1. “Knowledge, Tools and Lessons”
for Informing the Design and Implementation of
Food Security Strategies in Asia
By H.E. Srun Darith, Deputy Secretary General of CARD and Head of TWG-FSN Secretariat
Office of the Council of Ministers
Kathmandu, 14-16 November 2011
Design and Implementation of Food
Security Strategies in Cambodia
Technical Workshop and Conference on
2. The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) is strongly
committed to ensuring “Right to Food” and achieving MDGs,
in particular MDG1.
Recognizing the importance of the cross-cutting issue of food
security and nutrition (FSN) in addressing the development
priorities, in 1999 RGC mandated the Council for Agricultural
and Rural Development (CARD) to coordinate FSN.
To achieve the goal of improved FSN, CARD as a
coordinating body for FSN, focuses its work on four areas:
1. Coordination and Networking,
2. Policy support,
3. Monitoring and Evaluation, and
4. Knowledge and Information management (KIM)
Background
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3. CARD coordinates and participates in the formulation and
implementation of FSN-related policies &strategies.
Design and implementation processes go through the
coordination structures (incl. TWG-FSN ,TWG-AW...)
The processes is participatory, led by the gov’t and supported by
DPs. The gov’t ownership
Most projects and programmes funded by DPs are designed
based on and aligned with the gov’t policies/strategies.
To track the progress and assess the impact of projects and
programmes, a food security and nutrition monitoring system
was created.
The following are the existing policies/strategies related to FSN.
Formulation and Implementation of FSN-Related
Policies and Strategies
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4. (1) FSN Strategy Paper
In 2005 CARD initiated the design of “FSN Strategy
Paper" and the process was through the TWG-FSN
The strategy was used as inputs for the formulation of
National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP)
replacing the National Poverty Reduction Strategy
(NPRS) and Socio-Economic Development Plan
(SEDP).
The overall objective of the paper is to improve food
security and nutrition for all Cambodians.
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5. (2) Strategic Framework for Food Security and
Nutrition in Cambodia 2008-2012 (SFFSN)
In 2007 CARD, through TWG-FNS, started to develop
the SFFSN based on the FSN Strategy Paper 2005.
The formulation went through a broad consultative
process involving key stakeholders especially the
members of TWG-FNS.
The SFFSN was approved and disseminated in 2008.
The government (CARD) led the process and DPs
supported. Government-owned FSN reference
document used for sector strategy/programme design.
The review of the SFFSN is underway and nearly
finished. The update of SFFSN is planned early next
year based on the findings of the review. 5
6. SFFSN Vision :
"All Cambodians have physical and economic access
to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food, at all times, to
meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an
active and healthy life.”
SFFSN Goal:
“By 2012, poor and food-insecure Cambodians have
substantially improved physical and economic access
to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet their
dietary needs and food preferences for an active and
healthy life.”
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7. SFFSN Objectives:
1. Increased food availability (" Food-insecure households
increase food availability from their own agriculture and livestock
production and from common property forests and fisheries").
2. Increased food access (Food-insecure households increase their
food access by increasing household employment and incomes to buy
foods).
3. Improved use and utilization of food: (Food-insecure
households improve their food use and utilization, as a means to
reduce malnutrition, morbidity and mortality, particularly among women
and children).
4. Increased stability of food supply: (Food insecure households
increase their capacities to cope with risks through reducing
vulnerability to shocks and thereby increase the stability of food
supply).
5. Enhanced institutional and policy environment for
FSN: (The institutional and policy environment for achieving improved
food security and nutrition in Cambodia is enhanced).
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8. (3) Strategy for Agriculture and Water (SAW)
The formulation process was led by MAFF and
MoWRAM, through TWG-AW, and supported by DPs.
CARD, as a member of TWG-AW, actively participated
in the process and managed to convince the two
ministries to include FS issue in the strategy.
As a result, a programme to improve household FSN,
called Food Security Support Programme (FSSP),
was included in the SAW as one of the 5 programmes.
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9. The 5 programmes under SAW are:
1. Institutional capacity building and management
support programme for agriculture and water
resources
2. Food security support programme (FSSP)
3. Agricultural and agri-business (value-chain) support
programme
4. Water resources, irrigation management and land
programme
5. Agricultural and water resources research,
education and extension programme
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10. (4) Food Security Support Programme (FSSP)
The design of the FSSP was done by a design task
team under TWG-AW.
CARD, as a member of TWG-AW, actively participated
in and coordinated the programme design process.
The overall objective of the programme is to improve
household food security and nutrition.
The FSSP has 2 components:
1.Component I: Community Self-reliance for FS & Poverty
Reduction (increased productivity, income generation, nutrition..,)
2.Component II: Enhancement of Institutional and Policy
Environment for FSN (Coordination structure, capacity building, …)
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11. The below on-going programmes are designed based on and aligned with the
aforesaid policies and strategies to address FSN issues.
The National Nutrition Strategy (NNS 2009-2015) developed in 2009 by the MoH to
improve maternal and young child malnutrition.
National Social Protection Strategy for the Poor and Vulnerable (NSPS 2009-2013)
was developed by CARD in collaboration with sector ministries and DP’s and approved by
the RGC in 3/2011. The main goal of the NSPS is that “poor and vulnerable Cambodians
will be increasingly protected against chronic poverty and hunger, shocks, destitution and
social exclusion and benefit from investments in their human capital”.
Policy on Promotion of Paddy Production and Export of Milled Rice with
the vision to turn Cambodia into a key rice exporting country.
MDG-F Joint Programme for Children, Food Security and Nutrition in
Cambodia focuses on improving infant and young child feeding practices and
mainstreaming access to food and nutrition into relevant policies.
GAFSP (Global Agriculture and Food Security Program) was designed by
MAFF in consultation with key stakeholders (including CARD).
HARVEST (Helping Address Rural Vulnerabilities and Ecosystem Stability) is a
five year large food security initiative supported through USAID.
A lot more...
On-going programmes and projects
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12. To ensure effective design and
implementation of strategies, programmes
and projects, the following structures and
systems have been created.
Supporting structures and systems
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13. National Food Security Forum
Members are representatives from government agencies, DPs,
research institutions, and NGOs;
Created by CARD in 2003, the forum has been used as a
platform to exchange/share information, knowledge,
experiences and best practices related to FSN;
TWG-FSN (Co-chaired by CARD & MoP, and facilitated by WFP)
Created in 2005 as a joint Government-donor Working Group
responsible for the coordination of FSN issues;
Its members are representatives from relevant ministries,
donor/UN agencies, and selected NGOs;
FSN-Information Management Taskforce (Co-chaired by
CARD and NIS/MoP)
Established in late 2009 to coordinate different FSN-related
information systems in Cambodia
1. FSN Coordination and Networking Structures
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14. An integrated food security and nutrition monitoring
system has been established and managed by CARD in
collaboration with concerned gov’t agencies & DPs.
A Food Security and Nutrition Data Analysis Team (FSN-
DAT) was formed under the FSN Info Management
Taskforce last year.
The team, whose members are from most concerned
government agencies namely CARD, NIS, MoH, MAFF, and
MOWRAM, is responsible for the production of annual FSN
monitoring reports and quarterly FSN bulletins by
making analysis of available data and findings.
2. Monitoring and Evaluation System
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15. FSNIS (www.foodsecurity.gov.kh) was established by
CARD in 2004.
as a platform for information and knowledge sharing;
a web portal for other FSN-related websites (SRI, Food
Security Atlas of WFP, FIVIMS…);
one of the most updated websites in Cambodia.
3. Food Security and Nutrition Information
System (FSNIS)
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16. Coordination and cooperation among FSN
stakeholders are not yet satisfactory;
FSN issues are insufficiently integrated in national and
sub-national planning process due to limited
knowledge and understanding of policy makers and
planners.
Active participation of key players is still limited.
Some DPs ignore the coordinating structures, resulting
in doubling of efforts, high transaction costs for RGC
and low sustainability.
Some DPs have their own agenda, and therefore
programmes or projects funded by them are not
aligned with the government’s policies and strategies.
Major Challenges and constraints
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17. It’s good to have multi-disciplinary coordination
structures for FSN which consist of government
agencies, DPs and NGOs.
Engage all relevant stakeholders in any process from
the very beginning.
Active participation of key actors is the key to success.
Communications and advocacy are needed for FSN
coordination.
Competence, trust, and responsiveness are importance
for successful coordination.
Lessons learnt
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