Asia and the Pacific Regional Forum
“Nutrition-sensitive food production
systems for sustainable food security”
Bangkok, Thailand 7-8 December 2011
Food Security and Nutrition Coordination
in Cambodia
By H.E. Srun Darith, Deputy Secretary General of CARD and Head of TWG-FSN Secretariat
Office of the Council of Ministers
Background

The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) is fully
committed to ensuring “Right to Food” and achieving MDGs,
in particular MDG1

RGC recognizes the extreme importance of FSN in
addressing the country development priorities;

RGC mandated the Council for Agricultural and Rural
Development (CARD) to coordinate the cross-cutting issue of
food security and nutrition (FSN)
CARD as a coordinating body for FSN focuses it work on 4
areas: 1. Coordination and Networking
2. Policy support
3. Knowledge and Information management (KIM)
4. Monitoring and Evaluation
2

FSN-related Policies and Strategies
Multi-sector
 The Rectangular Strategy for Growth, Employment, Equity and
Efficiency Phase II is the framework for the country’s socioeconomic development.
 National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) Update 20092013, the primary development policy document for Cambodia.
 Strategic Framework for Food Security and Nutrition in
Cambodia 2008-2012 (SFFSN) developed based on the FSN
Strategy Paper 2005. the review of the strategic framework
has just been finishedand the update is planned in early 2012.
 The National Social Protection Strategy for the Poor and
Vulnerable (NSPS)
 Food Security Support Programme under SAW
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Agriculture sector
 The Strategy for Agriculture and Water 2010-2013
developed jointly by MAFF, WOWRAM and CARD with
5 programmes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Institutional capacity building and management support programme
Food security support programme (FSSP)
Agricultural and agri-business support programme
Water resources, irrigation management and land programme
Agricultural and water resources research, education and extension
programme
Policy on the Promotion of Paddy Rice Production
and Export of Milled Rice was developed and passed
in 2010
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Health sector
 The Health Strategic Plan II 2008-2015, the Ministry
of Health’s primary policy document, follows the Health
Sector Strategic Plan 2003–2007 and is
complemented by the Cambodia Child Survival
Strategy 2006-2015
 National Nutrition Strategy 2009-2015 for
interventions on improved nutrition
 Various National Guidelines on (1) Iron and Folic
Acid Supplementation (2007), (2) Vitamin A Policy
(1994, revised in 2001 and 2007), (3) Micronutrient
Supplementation
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FSN-related Programmes or Projects



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The MDG-F Joint Program for Children, Food Security and
Nutrition in Cambodia a coordinated operation of 6 UN
agencies and 6 government institutions
HARVEST (Helping Address Rural Vulnerabilities and
Ecosystem Stability) is a five year large food security initiative
supported through USAID
A proposal for GAFSP (Global Agriculture and Food Security
Program) with the title “Reducing Global Risk and Vulnerability
through improving Food Security and Household Nutrition in
Cambodia” was approved
Other large scale projects EFAP, EU-FF, WB), providing
assistance to the poor and food insecure to cope with the
impact of the crisis were designed
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KMI for FSN
a) FSN Capacity Building and Awareness Raising
 CARD initiated the establishment of a national trainer
pool for FSN. The initiative was strongly supported
by development partners and fully endorsed by the
government.
 The National Trainer Pool, whose members are from
the government, development partners, institutions,
civil society and NGOs, was officially established in
2009, managed and coordinated by CARD.
 The main objective of the pool is to provide FSN
training service on FSN.
 A number of trainings (including trainings contracted
with several agencies, esp. FiA, UNESCO, HKI,
WVC, CCC, LWF) have been conducted using the
national trainer pool.
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b) Food Security and Nutrition Information System
(FSNIS)
FSNIS (www.foodsecurity.gov.kh) was established by
CARD In 2004
 Used as a platform for information and knowledge
sharing;
 a web portal for other FSN-related websites (SRI, Food
Security Atlas, FIVIMS…);
 One of the most updated websites in Cambodia;
 Increasing numbers of users from diverse stakeholders
according to thee user surveys conducted in 2005 and
2007 and in August 2011.
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Monitoring and Evaluation

An integrated food security and nutrition monitoring
system has been established and managed by CARD in
collaboration with concerned gov’t agencies & DPs.
 A Food Security and Nutrition Data Analysis Team (FSNDAT) was formed under the FSN Info Management
Taskforce last year.
 The team, whose members are from most concerned
government agencies namely CARD, NIS, MoH, MAFF,
and MOWRAM, is responsible for the production of
annual FSN monitoring reports and quarterly FSN
bulletins by making analysis of available data and
findings.
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FSN Coordination and Networking
Mechanism
 National Food Security Forum
 Created by CARD in 2003 and organized jointly with
WFP & FAO;
 Members are representatives from government
agencies, DPs, research institutions, and NGOs;
 An open forum for the exchange/sharing knowledge,
information, and experiences with regard to FSN;
 Used as a platform to coordinate and jointly discuss
problems/constraints related to FSN;
 So far 45 sessions of forum have been held
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FSN Coordination and Networking
Mechanism (Con’t)
 TWG-FSN
 Co-chaired by CARD & MoP, and facilitated by WFP;
 Created in 2005 as a joint Government-donor Working
Group responsible for the coordination in FSN issues;
 Its members are representatives from relevant
ministries, donor/UN agencies, and selected NGOs;
 FSN-Information Management Taskforce
 Co-chaired by CARD and NIS/MoP
 Established in late 2009
 To coordinate different FSN-related information
systems in Cambodia
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Scale up action to improve nutrition?
 Updating the Strategic Framework for Food Security and

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

Nutrition in 2012 is an opportunity to focus attention on
making an intersectoral approach operational.
Government and DPs are to put more efforts to address key
barriers, such as feeding practices, maternal weight gain, and
agricultural diversification.
The review of the Health Strategic Plan, the Health Sector
Support Project, and the SFFSN) all planned during 2nd half
of 2011, will provide an opportunity to assess the impact of
current nutrition interventions and to review priority actions
More assistance in developing a national plan for scaling up
nutrition is needed.
Food fortification needs to be expanded, and more assistance
for this effort is required.
Existing Food Security and Nutrition M&E System needs to
be strngthened.
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Major Challenges and constraints




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Coordination and cooperation among FSN
stakeholders are not yet satisfactory;
FSN issues are insufficiently integrated in national and
sub-national planning process due to limited
knowledge and understanding of policy makers and
planners.
Active participation of key players is still limited.
Some DPs ignore the coordinating structures, resulting
in doubling of efforts, high transaction costs for RGC
and low sustainability.
Some DPs have their own agenda, and therefore
programmes or projects funded by them are not
aligned with the government’s policies and strategies.
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Lessons learnt




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It’s good to have multi-disciplinary coordination
structures for FSN which consist of government
agencies, DPs and NGOs.
Engage all relevant stakeholders in any process from
the very beginning.
Active participation of key actors is the key to success.
Communications and advocacy are needed for FSN
coordination.
Competence, trust, and responsiveness are importance
for successful coordination.
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Many thanks for your
kind attention.
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