Empowering Agricultural Cooperatives and Civil Society in Siem Reap and Odder Meanchey (EAC)
Donor: CISU Civil Society Fund, Denmark
Project periode: 01.06.2020 – 01.06.2022
Funding: 4.500.000,00 kr.
Local partners:
- Community-based Integrated Development Organization (CIDO)
- Khmer Buddhist Association (KBA)
- Rural Community and Environment Development Organization (RCEDO)
- Rural Economic and Agriculture Development Agency-READA
- Siem Reap Meanchey Union of Agricultural Cooperatives (SMUAC)
Overall target:
Poor people in rural areas of Siem Reap (SR) and Oddar Meanchey (ODM) have increased livelihood; in terms of increased quantity and quality of food production, earnings and sustainability.
Target group:
The main target groups are two Provincial Agricultural Cooperative Unions (PACUs) and 15 Agricultural Coperatives (ACs) in Siem Reap and 9 ACs in Oddar Meanchey. 20 ACs formed during other interventions are expected to apply for membership of the PACUs and at least 11 external ACs are expected to become members of the PACUs during the Action.
Final beneficiaries (Right-holders) are primarily members of ACs and Self-Help Groups – mainly female/poor farmers. Poor farmers request expanded AC member services to improve income and aggregate bargaining power; they lack representation in development processes and policy dialogs – especially at provincial and national levels.
Resume:
The aim is to support agricultural cooperative development in Cambodia. Two Provincial Agricultural Cooperative Unions (PACUs) in Siem Reap and Oddar Meanchey provinces and 30 Agricultural Cooperatives (ACs) join hands and build further capacity in line with best practice to improve bargaining power and representation of poor farmers in policy dialogs at provincial and national level.
Existing cooperatives and their unions are upgraded to fulfill their missions in a more professional manner, i.e. further development of business activities; up-scaling and diversification of services to existing 5,500 AC members – including services to Self-Help Groups; strengthening of up- and downwards accountability of their democratic rural organizations, and influence on decision making regarding rural development.
Democratic, organizational and commercial capacity of the PACUs and ACs is built to significantly improve self-reliance of their cooperative organizations and sustainability of previous interventions.