TY - JOUR
T1 - Scaling suitable, sustainable technologies for smallholder farmers in Cambodia
AU - Pekarcik, G.
AU - Ader, D.
AU - Bates, R.
AU - Gill, T.
AU - Goertz, H.
AU - Huot, S.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was partially supported by the USAID Bureau for Food Security and the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Sustainable Intensification managed by the Kansas State University and was led by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (USAID Federal Award No.: AID-OAA-L-猃-? ? 爃爃爃码 Subaward No-U.:T眃-K眃SU稃-? 砃爃眃砂I. The contents of this work are the responistiyboilf The University of Tennessee and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
Funding Information:
This study was partially supported by the USAID Bureau for Food Security and the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Sustainable Intensification managed by the Kansas State University and was led by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (USAID Federal Award No.: AID-OAA-L-14-00006; Subaward No.: 5587-UT-KSU-6056). The contents of this work are the responsibility of The University of Tennessee and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 International Society for Horticultural Science. All rights reserved.
PY - 2022/12
Y1 - 2022/12
N2 - While several agricultural technologies have been successfully piloted on research stations or with small numbers of early adopters in Cambodia, questions remain on how to extend these technologies to large numbers of resource-poor smallholders. The objectives of the Scaling Suitable Sustainable Technologies Project (S3-Cambodia) are to examine pathways for scaling sustainable intensification (SI) technologies to smallholder farmers by promoting vegetable grafting, post-rice secondary cropping, and wild food plant gardens. S3-Cambodia is scaling these technologies through two pathways: the private sector and youth engagement. The private sector pathway involves strengthening the participation of farmers, women’s groups, cooperatives, and community organizations in local and regional value chains for SI-produced horticulture crops. The youth engagement pathway involves piloting “green labs” in secondary schools to provide students with experiential learning and training on these SI technologies, allowing school communities to evaluate new practices before applying them at the field- or farm-scale. Early results indicate that both pathways are a viable approach to scaling agricultural technologies to new users. To date, 345 individuals have received training on SI technologies and three nurseries have been supported to expand their SI production. Market survey data from farmers and retailers suggest a significant market demand for grafted tomato plants during the wet season and traditional wild food plants (WFP) year-round. Household survey and interview data from high school parents, principals, and teachers point to the likelihood of agricultural knowledge transfer from student “green labs” to school communities. While COVID-19 has disrupted certain scaling efforts, initial project activities provide a research and evidence base to support the next steps in the long term scaling up of SI among rice-based farming systems throughout Cambodia and the wider Southeast Asia region.
AB - While several agricultural technologies have been successfully piloted on research stations or with small numbers of early adopters in Cambodia, questions remain on how to extend these technologies to large numbers of resource-poor smallholders. The objectives of the Scaling Suitable Sustainable Technologies Project (S3-Cambodia) are to examine pathways for scaling sustainable intensification (SI) technologies to smallholder farmers by promoting vegetable grafting, post-rice secondary cropping, and wild food plant gardens. S3-Cambodia is scaling these technologies through two pathways: the private sector and youth engagement. The private sector pathway involves strengthening the participation of farmers, women’s groups, cooperatives, and community organizations in local and regional value chains for SI-produced horticulture crops. The youth engagement pathway involves piloting “green labs” in secondary schools to provide students with experiential learning and training on these SI technologies, allowing school communities to evaluate new practices before applying them at the field- or farm-scale. Early results indicate that both pathways are a viable approach to scaling agricultural technologies to new users. To date, 345 individuals have received training on SI technologies and three nurseries have been supported to expand their SI production. Market survey data from farmers and retailers suggest a significant market demand for grafted tomato plants during the wet season and traditional wild food plants (WFP) year-round. Household survey and interview data from high school parents, principals, and teachers point to the likelihood of agricultural knowledge transfer from student “green labs” to school communities. While COVID-19 has disrupted certain scaling efforts, initial project activities provide a research and evidence base to support the next steps in the long term scaling up of SI among rice-based farming systems throughout Cambodia and the wider Southeast Asia region.
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U2 - 10.17660/ActaHortic.2022.1355.41
DO - 10.17660/ActaHortic.2022.1355.41
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85146134366
SN - 0567-7572
VL - 1355
SP - 327
EP - 334
JO - Acta Horticulturae
JF - Acta Horticulturae
ER -