Improvement of livelihood and food security of formerly landless and land poor households in Cambodia

Context

Although Cambodia is not regarded as a fundamentally fragile state, the foundation for democratic reforms is still very unstable. Power structures are complex in Cambodia and the country is marked by great social and economic imbalances. Institutional corruption is ubiquitous. Landlessness is steadily increasing. The causes for this include land fragmentation due to population growth, land sales in emergency situations and land concentration due to increasing social differentiation or illegal acquisition, above all by the military and influential politicians. Displacement and inequitable distribution of land give rise to social unrest and violent conflicts. This leads to a degradation of livelihoods and a growing lack of food security for people with little or no land.

Objective

The Cambodian government has significantly improved food security among land recipients.

Approach

The project supports the landless population to build a livelihood on newly acquired land. It directly addresses the needy, assisting them with cultivating the land and putting it to agricultural use. Moreover, it provides knowledge and skills that help to improve food security for these households. The project operates in three main fields of action. These are:

1. establishing food security of land recipients,
2. securing a basis for long-term, income-generating agricultural production, and
3. improving local development through new partnerships between administrations, civil and private actors. This includes newly established communes.

Last update: July 2022