Networking for prosperous, healthy futures in Cambodia

The government in Battambang Province, Cambodia, recently held a Safe Vegetable Exhibition. The event had two main purposes: 1) to raise awareness about safe agricultural practices for farmers in the region and 2) to create a demand for safe vegetables and, in particular, to link small producers and buyers.

Through our local partner Rural Development Association, CWS supports families in Battambang to produce safe vegetables. These families are just the type of small producer that the exhibition focused on, so five groups of families from our program took their produce to sell and share. They were able to sell the vegetables at good prices. Just as importantly, they had the opportunity to connect with new customers and markets for the future. And they had time to connect with one another – talking with and learning from other farmers.

The gathering was quite a success. It brought together farmers, organized cooperatives, brokers, agents, direct buyers and non-governmental organizations. Thuch Chantheng, the representative from one of the producer groups, reflected on her experience: “This is my first time joining an event like this, and I am very happy that we could sell our products at a good price and that buyers showed interest in buying more from us. This day was really an encouragement for me and the group. Now, we will work hard to increase our production, especially safe vegetables, which we can sell at higher prices and with no harm to people’s health. Thank you CWS and RDA for all the support for this opportunity, which really motivates us!”