Photo by Fresh News

SSLA is one among 77 members of the Agroecology Learning Alliance in Southeast Asia (ALiSEA) network in Cambodia, characterizing a diverse background of organizations including non-government organization (NGO), farmerassociation and cooperative, academia, research institution, and private sector.

This visit, participated by a delegation of 20 people from CASIC Steering Committee and Executive Board Members and ALiSEA, marks a pivotal moment in the interaction between the Cambodian government's agricultural mechanism and anetwork consisting of key actors, working towards agroecological transitions in Cambodia and in the region.

Photo by Fresh News

It is a part of CASIC’s Second Steering Committee Meeting of 2023, presided over by His Excellency Om Kimsir, Secretary of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and Chair of CASIC Steering Committee, His Excellency Chan Saruth, Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Chair of CASIC Executive Board, excellencies, members of the CASIC Steering Committee and Executive Board, and the Provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from CASIC target provinces.

The objectives of the visit includes:

• Fostering Networking: building a foundation for future collaboration between CASIC and ALiSEA to enhance the agroecology transition in Cambodia.

• Awareness and Knowledge Sharing: increasing CASIC's understanding of ALiSEA's role in facilitating knowledge exchange among non-government organizations (NGOs), farmer association and cooperatives, academia, researchers, private sector, and the government. The visit showcased the experiences of member NGOs and farmers who have actively participated in ALiSEA's activities.

• Policy Development Contribution: demonstrating how ALiSEA can aid in policy formulation on agroecology at national and regional levels through evidence creation and other means.

• Enhancing Understanding of Agroecology: contributing to CASIC's comprehension of agroecological transitions that are taking place in Cambodia, highlighting the diversity of existing farming systems, approaches and practices, that contribute to the agroecological transitions.

This visit marks a significant milestone in CASIC's engagement with the regional network, demonstrating theircommitment to advancing agroecological practices and policies in Cambodia. During this inaugural joint field visit, CASIC and the ALiSEA network had the opportunity to foster mutual understanding and shared interests in sustainable agricultural and food systems. This collaborative effort sets the stage for future partnerships and synergies.

About CASIC:

Cambodia Conservation Agriculture and Sustainable Intensification Consortium (CASIC)  is a national mechanism established under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) to collaborate and coordinate with a network of organizations that are implementing activities related to Conservation Agriculture (CA) in Cambodia such as marketing, research, policy and service delivery etc. by promoting CA practices, creating demand for CA machinery and implements, increase the diversification of crops, the accessibility of cover crops, and the participation of the private sector to meet the needs.

CASIC Steering Committee is an interministerial body comprises of members from Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Ministry of Environment (MoE), Ministry of Women Affairs (MoWA), Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (MWRM), Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports (MoEYS) Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC), and Council for Agricultural and Rural Development.

About ALiSEA:

Since 2015, ALiSEA  has thrived to empower local and regional stakeholders in agroecology, leveraging expertise to produce and disseminate evidence-based studies for a regional shift towards agroecology. Its objectives focus on enhancing knowledge sharing, increasing visibility and credibility of the agroecological movement, and scaling up the adoption of agroecological practices among farmers.

Currently, ALiSEA is momentous in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, as a part of a wider program, Agroecology and Safe Food System Transitions (ASSET Project) (2020-2025), funded by the French Agency for Development (AFD), the European Union (EU), and the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM), coordinated by GRET in close collaboration with CIRAD. Particularly in Cambodia, ALiSEA has additional support through the Partnership for Agroecology Transition, Networking and Efficient Resilience (PArTNER) project, coordinated by Uni4Coop and funded by the Belgium Development Cooperation (DGD).  

About SSLA:

Sustainable Soil for Life Association (SSLA)  has become a leading Cambodian NGO in the areas of enabling farmer’s agroecology and food system in rural areas, strengthening farmer’s ownership in local community action for local, solidarity and circular economic dynamics and the fight against dependency, manipulated commodity markets, unfair subsidies, inherent food insecurity, and unjust social and inequitable free-market economies.

This press release is prepared and distributed by Agroecology Learning Alliance in Cambodia.