Joint Press Release Cambodia and Team Europe Joint Mission to Northeastern Provinces Highlights Partnership on Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity Conservation, and Trade

Cambodia, 17-18 August 2026 - His Excellency Dith Tina, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), together with His Excellency Igor Driesmans, Ambassador of the European Union to Cambodia, led a high-level Cambodia and Team Europe mission to the northeastern provinces of Tboung Khmum, Kratie, and Stung Treng. The delegation included Her Excellency Markéta Kolc Hájková, Ambassador of the Czech Republic; Her Excellency Cristina Romila, Ambassador of Romania; His Excellency Dr. Ivan Velimir Starčević, Ambassador of Croatia; and Deputy Heads of Mission from the Embassies of Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, and Switzerland. They were joined by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative; the Country Directors of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF); representatives of the European Union; and senior officials from the Royal Government of Cambodia.

The mission underscored the shared commitment of the Royal Government of Cambodia and Team Europe to advancing climate-resilient agriculture, resilient food systems, biodiversity conservation, and inclusive rural development.

Starting in Tboung Khmum province, the delegation visited the Chiro Rung Roeung Agricultural Community, supported by the Agriculture Services Programme for an Inclusive Rural Economy and Agricultural Trade (ASPIRE-AT) programme, to observe the adoption of climate-smart farming techniques and the progress of market linkage initiatives. Continuing to Kratie, the mission focused the Mekong dolphin conservation zone managed by the Fisheries Administration and WWF, with support from Belgium and the EU, where species protection is paired with sustainable income generation for residents. Concluding in Stung Treng, the delegation visited Handcrafted Cashew Nuts Stung Treng, the Chambak Agricultural Community, and project sites under EU-German Cambodia Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems (CAPSAFE) implemented by MAFF, GIZ, and partners to support post-harvest processing and quality assurance. The visit demonstrated how the partnership between MAFF, Team Europe, and other partners is delivering benefits for local livelihoods and natural resource management.

H.E. Dith Tina, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said:

"Cambodia is transforming agriculture by shifting from basic farming to commercial production. Through Modern Agricultural Communities (MACs) and contract farming, we are organizing local farmers to deliver steady, reliable supplies to processors. Together with the EU and our partners, we are raising food safety standards, sustainability, and market competitiveness for key crops like cashew and pepper-opening new opportunities for farmers at home and abroad."

Throughout the multi-province visit, delegates engaged in dialogue with government officials, development partners, rural communities, and local agribusinesses. Discussions centred on how investments in contract farming, post-harvest processing, and strengthening agricultural value chains, are improving food safety standards, fostering private sector engagement, and enabling farmers and agribusinesses to access higher-value regional and European markets in line with the objectives of the EU Global Gateway strategy.

H.E. Igor Driesmans, Ambassador of the European Union to Cambodia, said:

"Through the EU Global Gateway strategy, Team Europe is investing in technical expertise, food safety, and processing systems to boost Cambodian cashew and pepper value chains. This enables local agribusinesses to create higher-value products at home and expand into premium export markets. Travelling across the provinces and meeting local farmers firsthand showed me just how transformative our partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is. Sustainable agriculture is about delivering real, tangible benefits, and it is rewarding to see our shared vision making a genuine difference."

The Royal Government of Cambodia and Team Europe reaffirmed their continued collaboration on sustainable agricultural development, food system resilience, biodiversity protection, and rural development.

About Team Europe

Team Europe brings together the European Union, its Member States, and European development finance institutions to deliver coordinated support to partner countries. In Cambodia, Team Europe works with national and local partners to promote sustainable economic development, climate action, resilient food systems, and inclusive growth.

EU-German Cambodia Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems (CAPSAFE) is a EUR 24.3 million Team Europe initiative (EU: EUR 17 million; Germany: EUR 7.3 million), implemented by GIZ and People in Need from 2024 to 2029. The programme promotes sustainable and climate-resilient cashew and pepper value chains by strengthening food safety and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) systems, supporting 6,000 farmers to improve productivity, strengthening agricultural comunities and 40 SMEs, and increasing local processing, investment, and export readiness for regional and EU markets.

Agriculture Services Programme for an Inclusive Rural Economy and Agricultural Trade (ASPIRE-AT) is a EUR 20.06 million EU grant programme, complemented by EUR 60 million from the European Investment Bank and EUR 45 million from IFAD, running from 2024 to 2030. Implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries with IFAD, the programme modernises Cambodia's agriculture sector through investments in rural infrastructure, agricultural services, post-harvest facilities, and market access, benefiting 100,000 smallholder farm households and strengthening the competitiveness of agricultural value chains.

Dolphin and Fisheries Conservation: The European Union, through the EU-CAPFISH programme, and Belgium, through the Directorate-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD), have supported the Royal Government of Cambodia's efforts to conserve fisheries resources and protect the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin. The ongoing conservation programme, supported by Belgium and jointly implemented by the Fisheries Administration and WWF from 2017 to 2026, strengthens fisheries law enforcement through the training and equipping of river guards, regular patrols, and the introduction of innovative monitoring technologies. This partnership contributes to reducing illegal fishing threats, improving the protection of critical dolphin habitats, and promoting sustainable fisheries management in the Mekong River.