From 16 to 19 June last, as part of the activities of the Apici project, which has been running in Cambodia since 2010, GRET participated in the organisation of the Siem Reap annual fruit, vegetables and Cambodian products exhibition. The event, prepared in cooperation with the Ministry of Trade and other stakeholders involved in structuring local value chains, gave farmers and consumers an opportunity to meet.
Fruit and vegetables certified as “healthy” thanks to a Participative guarantee system were exhibited and sold, along with chickens and eggs, by three cooperatives receiving support from the Apici project: Ecofarm, Fudac and DSAC. The project teams also took advantage of the fair to raise visitors’ awareness and convey key messages on nutrition, in particular on the benefits of a diversified diet and good hygiene (ranging from handwashing to the absence of pesticide residues on food products).
During this event, partnership certificates were awarded to Cambodian businesses involved in the promotion of local, healthy products. Three shops that regularly purchase supplies of agroecological products from the cooperatives supported by the project were awarded a prize during the ceremony: The Amarak farm, Khmer Community Shop and Siem Reap Farmers Market.
According to the Ministry of Trade, 5,000 people visited the Siem Reap fair each day, making it a major agricultural event for the city. Public interest in local agroecological products seems to be significantly increasing, confirming that the nutritional quality of food is becoming a real priority for Cambodian consumers.
Since 2010, GRET and its partners have been supporting Cambodian farmers in the agroecological evolution of their practices, with the development of product quality and encouraging recognition of these farmers at local markets. The project also focuses on strengthening socio-professional organisations in rural areas in order to ensure support services over the long term. With a view to strengthening integration between agriculture, agricultural value chains and nutrition, since 2021, the Apici project has been working on consumption patterns to promote healthy, diversified food.