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As a response to the need to transition towards regenerative agriculture, CA and SI relevant projects and programs stakeholders discussed and initiated in 2018, the Royal Government of Cambodia decided, through a decision letter, to establish the Cambodia Conservation Agriculture and Sustainable Intensification Consortium (CASIC). CASIC was established through an official endorsement by Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ (MAFF) decision No. 201.SSR.KSK, dated 21 May 2020. CASIC is a national coordination mechanism established 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 is a platform with a vast network of organizations that are working on regenerative agriculture in Cambodia. To guide the coordination of priorities in CA and SI development and the operation of CASIC, a roadmap for the years 2022-2026 was initiated and developed under the technical and financial support from Swisscontact and French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD). Swisscontact currently serves as a member of the Executive Board of CASIC and supports on CASIC’s Sub-committee on Promotion and Sub-committee on Research for Development (R4D).
The mission of CASIC is to coordinate and support research for development; invest into knowledge management; create an enabling environment for policy dialogues and public-private partnerships. value creation: and explore market opportunities and enhance collaboration between various stakeholders in conservation agriculture, sustainable intensification, and agroecology.
CASIC was established under the leadership of MAFF and governed by a Steering Committee chaired by H.E. Om Kimsir, Secretary of State/MAFF with members from Ministry of Interior (MoI), Ministry of Environment (MoE), Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA), Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (MoWRAM), and Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC). The Steering Committee plays a crucial role in leading, directing, and supervising the progress of CA & SI and agroecological development in Cambodia, with main responsibilities in reviewing, monitoring, and approving action plans, budget, and reports of CASIC.
At the implementation level, CASIC is led by an Executive Board chaired by HE Dr. Chan Saruth, Under Secretary of State/MAFF and consisting of representatives from the Royal University of Agriculture (RUA) and the General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA) as the vice chairs, and members from the Department of Agricultural Engineering (DAEng), the Department of Agricultural Land Resources Management (DALRM), the Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), the Department of Extension for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DEAFF), Swisscontact and CIRAD. The main responsibilities of the Executive Board are to develop and monitor the implementation of action plans, advice and facilitate 13 all products of regenerative agriculture (CA/SI) and agroecology related activities, liaise, and collaborate with relevant government agencies, development partners, private sector and other stakeholders in CA & SI and agroecology related interventions. Therefore, CASIC has already been well institutionalized within the government system.