CHAIN: Cambodia Horticulture Advancing Income and Nutrition

Project description / objective

CHAIN aimed to improve rural smallholder livelihoods in four remote provinces in Cambodia by diversifying production, increasing incomes, enhancing food security and building climate resilience. It promoted safe, locally grown vegetables to reduce reliance on imports, strengthening the horticulture value chain through market system interventions and collaboration among key actors.

Market systems focus

Vegetable inputs, services and output sales

Cambodia’s growing demand for vegetables provides opportunities for smallholder farmers to supply local markets. Climate-smart horticulture offers a scalable solution and input providers and traders can expand into these newly emerging markets, driving economic growth, boosting incomes and enhancing nutrition .

Irrigation services and infrastructure

Vegetable production in Cambodia is hindered by water scarcity, but expanding access to drip irrigation systems presents a key opportunity. By improving water storage infrastructure, including farm ponds and reservoirs, and strengthening market linkages, the vegetable sector can grow.

Programme approach

SNV / CHAIN applied a pull-push-pull market systems approach. In the first phase, the programme conducted in-depth vegetable market opportunity analyses. In the second phase, CHAIN partnered with government extension services and the private sector. The third phase focused on strengthening the enabling environment.

Programme interventions

Vegetable inputs, services and output sales

Market assessment and formation of clusters
CHAIN conducted detailed market assessments to understand local vegetable demand, including seasonal trends, pricing and preferred vegetable types (over 30 different varieties). It also mapped the availability and gaps in market system services. Producer groups were then connected with vegetable buyers and input suppliers through business-to-business (B2B) facilitation (see B2B Guide, also in Khmer). To sustain coordination and support, CHAIN established local multi-stakeholder platforms within geographic clusters, fostering collaboration between service providers and value chain actors. See Cluster Approach Guide (also in Khmer).

Incubation of lead farmers and demo plots
CHAIN supported farmer extension by mobilising lead farmers alongside government extension agents and linking them with private sector services to establish hundreds of demonstration plots showcasing improved seeds, agronomy, land preparation, irrigation and crop protection.

Government staff were supported to apply Gender Sensitive Extension methods. These lead farmers were carefully chosen to serve as effective agents of behavioural change. They were also encouraged to develop micro-enterprises -such as vegetable aggregation for traders, solar irrigation or greenhouse installation, and last-mile input sales - which generated additional income and motivated them to sustain their extension activities. See Lead Farmer guide (also in Khmer), and Rural Business Accelerator guide (also in Khmer).

Enabling environment – support public extension and standards
CHAIN collaborated with government to develop guidelines for Cambodian GAP and Organic standards, supported certification pilots, installed mini laboratories for pesticide residue testing and supported provincial roadmaps for development of the sector.

Irrigation services and infrastructure

Water demand assessment and financing ability
When CHAIN began the water infrastructure service market was underdeveloped and dominated by large-scale government irrigation projects. CHAIN organised numerous exchange visits for lead farmers and government staff to learn from successful water provision technologies and innovative water management solutions.

Together with farmers and supply actors, CHAIN also costed various activities and assessed the return on investment if farmers could do dry-season vegetable production which gave them higher prices. See Crop Budget guide (also in Khmer), and Smart Water Solutions guide (also in Khmer)

Support market development of smart water solutions
To jumpstart the water input supply market, CHAIN provided 50 per cent subsidies for various small-scale infrastructure investments, including communal water reservoirs, small check dams, boreholes, farm ponds, drip and sprinkler irrigation systems, solar pumps and canals. Some communal water projects were co-financed by district development funds, while individual farmers co-financed their own farm solutions.

Demonstrating these solutions in practice stimulated increased demand for irrigation retailers, borehole drilling and farm pond excavation services, ultimately strengthening the climate resilience of the horticultural sector.

Notable results

Enduring systemic change

Vegetable inputs, services and output sales
Local market systems were strengthened through improved coordination between production clusters and traders. Last-mile input distributors expanded into previously underserved areas. Government extension services became more market-oriented and enhanced their collaboration with the private sector. As a result, vegetable imports declined significantly due to increased local supply.

Irrigation services and infrastructure
Seeing positive local examples many farmers invested in drip irrigation, plastic mulching and water storage solutions. Thanks to the market system development these technologies are now widely accessible and affordable without subsidies, making farming households more climate-resilient. An estimated 4,000 farmers accessed better irrigation technologies and infrastructure.

Impacts for target beneficiaries

The programme engaged 10,000 households through 400 farmer groups, with over 65 per cent of participants being women.

Around 6,000 farmers (60%) shifted from subsistence-level homestead farming to semi-commercial or commercial production, earning over USD $1,000 annually.

For approximately 4,000 farmers, vegetable cultivation became their primary source of income and livelihood. Several farmers generated sufficient cash income to open shops, purchase land or invest in perennial crops such as fruit and cashew.

Additionally, more than 60 micro-entrepreneurs - mostly women - expanded their agro-input businesses, with several progressing to provincial-level wholesale operations.

[Uploaded January 2026]