Building Collaborative Institutions for Sustainable, Resilient and Diverse Food Systems in Cambodia

Abstract

Cambodia is advancing a more integrated and collaborative approach to natural resource governance through the establishment of District Working Groups for Food Security and Nutrition (DWG-FSNs). Building on lessons from two pilot District Technical Working Groups (DTWGs) launched in 2024, the model addresses long-standing conflicts between rice farming and fisheries across the Tonle Sap floodplain and Mekong Basin—areas where fragmented management has undermined ecosystem services, livelihoods, and nutrition. Following the successful pilots, the Council for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) began scaling the model nationally in 2025, converting the Ba Phnom DTWG into a DWG-FSN and establishing additional groups in neighboring districts. Positioned as key mechanisms for implementing Cambodia’s 3rd National Strategy for Food Security and Nutrition, DWG-FSNs promote coordinated natural resource management, inclusive decision-making, research and monitoring, and resource mobilization, ultimately strengthening local governance and contributing to resilient, sustainable food systems.