Phnom Penh, Cambodia – 10 June 2026 – Cambodia is accelerating efforts to make safe food the norm for every consumer, in every community, not just in model farms or pilot projects.
That ambition drove conversations at the Mekong CREATES Agrifood Systems Forum 2026, held under the theme “From Burden to Solutions: Safe Food Everywhere.” The forum convened government officials, farmers, cooperatives, businesses, researchers, youth leaders, and development partners to identify how proven food safety approaches can be expanded across Cambodia’s agrifood system.
Food safety has moved to the center of Cambodia’s development agenda. It underpins public health, builds consumer trust, improves nutrition, and unlocks access to higher-value markets. At the same time, climate change, shifting supply chains, and tightening market requirements are intensifying risks across the food system.
These pressures frame Cambodia’s Second Roadmap for Food Systems for Sustainable Development 2025–2030, which positions food safety as a strategic, game-changing priority.
Mr. Meas Vanna, Deputy Director of the Department of Policy Development at the Council for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD), outlined the policy direction, calling for coordinated investment, stronger governance, policy alignment, and digital systems to support safe and healthy food environments. H.E. Dr. Kao Muy Thong, Deputy Secretary General of the Council for Agriculture and Rural Development, echoed that ambition with a direct challenge to participants.
“Cambodia must turn evidence and dialogue into practical action. We need scalable solutions that can be replicated, expanded, and embedded across the country’s agrifood systems.”
Mr. Hang Suviddya, Deputy Secretary General of the General Secretariat of Population and Development at the Ministry of Planning and Member of the Mekong Institute Steering Committee, added that scaling solutions requires more than technical fixes.
“The challenge is not only identifying solutions, but creating the partnerships and enabling environment needed to scale them across Cambodia and the Greater Mekong Subregion.”
Delivering the keynote on behalf of FAO Cambodia, Davronjon Okhunjonov, Technical Advisor at the Food and Agriculture Organization in Cambodia, placed food safety at the intersection of health and economic resilience.
“Safe food is essential, not only for our health, but for stronger food systems, sustainable development, and economic growth.”
Mr. Chap Vibol, Director of Program Quality and Development at World Vision Cambodia, drew attention to the social stakes, particularly for children and vulnerable groups, calling on government, development partners, businesses, and local communities to work together so that safe and nutritious food reaches those who need it most.
Participants also confronted a growing reality: climate change is not a distant threat to food safety, it is already here. Rising temperatures and extreme weather events are affecting production quality and multiplying risks across value chains.
“Farmers are already experiencing its effects on production, quality, and food safety,” said Mr. Norng Sivouthan, Country Director of HEKS/EPER Cambodia. “Building resilience requires stronger collaboration among institutions, farmers, businesses, and communities.”
Representatives from Fuchs (Cambodia) Co., Ltd., Teuk Hout Meanchey Agricultural Cooperative, Memot Tboung Khmum Pepper Modern Agricultural Cooperative, UNICA enterprise, and youth-led research teams shared experiences from the field, covering digital traceability, safe post-harvest handling, farmer-led food safety practices, women-led food safety initiatives, and community-based research on food production.
Participants then worked through an interactive Scaling Canvas session to identify how successful food safety approaches could be replicated and expanded through stronger partnerships between government agencies, development partners, private sector actors, researchers, and youth groups.
The central message was clear: Cambodia does not need to start from zero. The foundations are in place. The priority now is connecting and scaling what works, so that safe food becomes consistently available in every market and every community.
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The forum was convened through Mekong CREATES, implemented by MI with support from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in partnership with CARD, World Vision Cambodia, and other national and international partners. The event also marked Cambodia’s observance of World Food Safety Day 2026.
Mekong CREATES (Mekong Capacity-Building for Resilient and Enhanced Agricultural Technologies and Food Systems) is a regional initiative that strengthens local capacities, promotes innovation, and fosters collaboration to advance inclusive, climate-resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems across the Greater Mekong Subregion.
