Swisscontact Cambodia awarded Medal of Honor for its contribution to Conservation Agriculture and Sustainable Intensification in the country

The Royal Government of Cambodia, as per Sub Decree 321 signed by the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo HUN SEN on May 18^th 2022, presented a Medal of Honor to three representatives of the development partners, Dr. Florent Tivet, Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Mr. Manny Reyes, representing The Center of Excellence on Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Nutrition (CE SAIN) and Mr. Rajiv Pradhan, Swisscontact in Cambodia for their exceptional contribution to the field of Conservation Agriculture (CA) and Sustainable Intensification (SI) in the country, on 21^st June 2022.

The medal handover ceremony was organized during the Conservation Agriculture and Sustainable Intensification Consortium’s (CASIC) 3-year anniversary event presided by His Excellency Veng Sakhon, Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF).

Supporting conservation agriculture and sustainable intensification since 2018

Swisscontact through Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture (ISA), along with key partners Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Sustainable Intensification Innovation Lab/Kansas State University (SIIL/KSU), Center for Excellence Sustainable Intensification and Nutrition, Royal University of Agriculture (CE SAIN/RUA), and USAID has been supporting the initiative of Cambodia Conservation Agriculture and Sustainable Intensification Consortium (CASIC) since 2018.

On 21 May 2020, HE Minister Veng Sakhon, MAFF, through a decision letter, formally approved the formation of the Cambodia Conservation Agriculture Sustainable Intensification Consortium (CASIC). This decision was a turning point to foster the dissemination of CA/SI practices to restore and preserve agricultural soils in Cambodia, advancing in farm sustainability and contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation.

CASIC: a platform with a vast network

CASIC is a result of the untiring efforts of the various organizations who are also represented on the executive board, namely, General Department of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Land Resources Management, Department of Agricultural Engineering, CIRAD, CE SAIN/Royal University of Agriculture, Swisscontact, Kansas State University, and SIIL/USAID. The success of CASIC also largely points towards the successful leadership of HE. Om Kimsir, MAFF Secretary of State and Chair of the Steering Committee of CASIC and HE. Dr. Chan Saruth, MAFF Undersecretary of State and Chair of the Executive Board of CASIC.

This multi-stakeholder consortium has the vision to be a well-established platform with a vast network of organizations that are working on the CA issues in Cambodia, e.g., markets, research, policies, service provision. The CASIC platform is much needed for Cambodia’s transition from conventional agricultural practices to a more sustainable form of regenerative agriculture as it plays a central role in coordinating the different initiatives. 

The Conservation Agriculture and Sustainable Intensification Consortium is a part of the Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture (ISA) project. The ISA project is financed by the Happel Foundation, the Symphasis Foundation, and the Leopold Bachmann Foundation among other donors. As part of the Swisscontact Development Programme, it is co-financed by SDC (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA).