Cambodia accelerates low‑carbon farming strategy at agri‑food conference

PHNOM PENH, March 27, 2026 (KPT) – Cambodia pledged to scale up low‑carbon agriculture at the Sustainable Agri‑Food Conference 2026, moving from pilot projects to a coordinated national strategy.

The event, organized by Amru Rice, the Cambodian Agriculture Cooperative Corporation (CACC) and the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), brought together government officials, farmers, cooperatives and international partners under the theme “Scaling Low‑Carbon Rice, Agro‑Forestry Cashew, and Circular Value Chains for Smallholder Resilience.”

CACC chairman Mey Kalyan urged stakeholders to “think big, start small, and move fast,” while CRF president Lay Chhun Hour said sustainable farming was now “a critical necessity.”

The strategy includes scaling alternate wetting and drying (AWD) rice technology across 10,000 hectares, integrating agro‑forestry cashew systems and organic cassava, and deploying tech‑driven measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) systems.

Agricultural and Rural Development Bank (ARDB) CEO Kao Thach said Khmer rice represents “livelihoods, the strength of the economy, and national pride,” stressing the need for sustainable practices.

Secretary of State Touch Bun Hour highlighted carbon credit sales as a new income stream for farmers, while Amru Rice CEO Song Saran said the future depends on “how we produce, not how much.”

The conference also marked Amru Rice’s 15th anniversary and concluded with an MOU between Amru Rice, the Department of Rice Crop and regional unions, cementing a collective push for resilient, low‑carbon value chains.