Programme Activities

Strengthening Capacity in Crop Forecasting

A series of training courses, including those specifically designed to train additional trainers, have aimed at strengthening national capacity in crop forecasting.

These courses build on an advanced 3 month training course which took place in Rome from November 2006 to March 2007. Participants included two experts from Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, as well as two colleagues from Laos. They customized a crop yield forecasting system for Cambodia and learned how to use it to produce forecasts.

> Advanced Crop Yield Forecasting Training Course in Rome (November 2006 to March 2007)
> Crop Yield Forecasting Training Technical Report

In May 2008, the two Cambodian experts then conducted a two-week training course for their colleagues to help develop a critical mass of expertise in their own institutions. In April 2008, they also trained national staff in the Lao PDR:

> Crop Yield Forecasting Training in Cambodia (May 2008)
> Crop Yield Forecasting Training in the Lao PDR (April 2008)

Thanks to expertise gained in using crop yield forecasting software and tools, Cambodia’s first agro-meteorological bulletins have been published in English and Khmer. The bulletins aim at informing decision-makers, analysts and technicians about the crop situation during the agricultural season.

> Cambodia Agro-meteorological Bulletins

On 30 April 2008, A national seminar was organized to:
- present progress made in crop yield forecasting; and
- gain support necessary for future endeavours.

> National Seminar on Crop Forecasting in Cambodia (30 April 2008)
> Press Release

Food Security Statistics Training and Analysis

Experts from the National Institute of Statistics, with support from the EC-FAO Food Security Programme and FAO's Statistics division, have been analyzing food consumption and income data from the 2003-04 Cambodia Socio-Economic Survey (CSES). One of their goals is to derive relevant food security and poverty indicators at national and sub-national levels.

> Analyzing Food Consumption Data Related to Food Insecurity and Poverty (2 - 6 October 2006 )

Results from the analysis were discussed at a one day national seminar held in April 2007.

> Summary Report: Food Insecurity Assessment in Cambodia (2007)
> Agenda of national seminar on food insecurity assessment

Results were also captured in a paper “Food Security Statistics by Regions and Gender in the Cambodian 2003/05 CSES”. The paper was presented at the EC-FAO full day event at the Fourth International Conference on Agriculture Statistics (ICAS-4).

> Paper: Food Security Statistics by Regions and Gender in the Cambodian 2003/05 CSES
> ICAS 4 side event agenda


Making Food Security Information Products (FSIPs) More Relevant for Decision-Making

In October 2006, Staff from key ministries and NGOs participated in a training course aimed at making food security information products (FSIPs) more useful for decision-making. Participants then prepared a Plan of Action for improving their products which was officially endorsed by leading national institutions (MAFF, MOWRAM, CARD, NIS).

> General overview of FSIP training
> Training: Producing food security information products that result in action (9 - 13 October 2006)

Other activities aimed at improving food security information products include:

- Publishing agro-meteorological bulletins (in collaboration with the ASIA FIVIMS Regional Project)

- Stimulating coordination among various initiatives aimed at strengthening food security and nutrition information management in Cambodia

> Workshop on Food Security and Nutrition and Vulnerability Information and Mapping Systems in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (5 July 2006)

- Supporting the Food Security and Nutrition Information System (FSNIS) Website. This website, managed by the Council for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD), is a major gateway to food security information, events, training, etc. in Cambodia.


Feasibility Study on Bio-Fuels for Food Security through Income Generation in Rural Cambodia

The study has been supported by the EC-FAO Programme's Consultancy Fund. The study showed that there is a great potential for domestic bio-fuel production, especially of jatropha, in Cambodia with large income generation opportunities for farmers. Preliminary results were presented in a workshop held in Cambodia on December 18 2007.

> Consultancy Fund
> Workshop