Cambodia Horticulture Advancing Income and Nutrition program (CHAIN)

Case Summary: 

The main objective of the CHAIN programme is to support low-income, smallholder farmers to increase their productivity and income and to improve food security, nutrition and climate resilience in Cambodia. CHAIN does this by developing and strengthening horticulture value chains through a market systems development approach, in close collaboration with public and private sector actors. A gender analysis carried out for the CHAIN programme identified that women , who comprise a majority of farmers in the target provinces, are exposed to more climate risk than men, as a result of existing inequalities.

CHAIN used a toolkit by AgriProFocus to identify and analyse the gender-based constraints in agriculture and to collect information about women’s and men’s differential access to and control over assets, resources and services.

CHAIN then adopted a gender-transformative approach to creating more effective, climate-resilient value chains.

CHAIN developed gender strategies in each phase of the programme to: (a) reduce women’s heavy workloads, (b) free up time for training and other capacity-building activities, (c) enhance women’s limited decision-making abilities at household level, (d) develop gender-responsive service-delivery among other stakeholders and e) strengthen women’s businesses. These strategies paid off: CHAIN has enabled women to achieve their aspirations of earning their own money and contributing financially to the family. Through modern, climate-smart production techniques, especially mulching and drip irrigation, women have increased their income, saved labour and become more resilient to droughts.

Please note this case starts on page 34.

Country 
Cambodia
Region 
East Asia and Pacific
Action Area 
Adaptation
Planning and Implementation Activity 
Analysis and Data Collection, Developing and Implementing Policies and Measures, Governance and Stakeholder Engagement, Sub-national Action and Integration, Linking with the Sustainable Development Goals, Monitoring and Evaluation
Sectors and Themes 
Agriculture, Gender
Barriers overcome 
Capacity, Economic, Financial, Information, Socio-cultural, Technological
Source 
CHAIN project implemented by SNV and partners. Funded by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Case study produced by SNV and CDKN (Climate and Development Knowledge Network).
Language 
English
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