Professionalizing Agricultural Cooperatives in Cambodia

A GESTE project launched in March 2025 in Cambodia aims to professionalize agricultural cooperatives. The focus is on two pilot cooperatives: the Merech Memot Tbong Khmum Pepper Cooperative, which has entered into a purchase agreement with Fuchs Gruppe Spices for the 2025 season, receives support by hiring an accountant to ensure reliable financial management. The CamSeed AC cooperative, which produces certified rice seeds and plans to expand into vegetable farming, is being strengthened by hiring an experienced manager. Both positions are funded for one year to place the cooperatives on a professional footing and increase their competitiveness. Additional training to improve management competencies is also being provided.

This specifically complements the project work of the DGRV, which supports the development of a modern, multi-tiered cooperative system in Cambodia. Together with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and its Department of Agricultural Cooperatives Promotion (DACP), the DGRV promotes the creation of legal frameworks, trains national institutions, and supports the establishment of the National Cooperative Alliance (CACA). The goal is to provide small farmers with better market opportunities and incomes and to integrate them into international supply chains in the long term.

The GESTE project builds on the successful GESTE projects supporting mango and cashew supply chains and sets new impulses for the development of modern, market-oriented cooperatives in Cambodia.