Updated: January 2009

Cambodia Country Programme

PROLINNOVA CAMBODIA is the national platform to promote local innovation in Cambodia and to enhance capacity of development practitioners and farmers in participatory innovation development (PID). PROLINNOVA CAMBODIA builds day to day strong relationship between farmers-researchers-extensionists and empowers farmer-led experimentation in ecological agriculture and sustainable natural resource management.

PROLINNOVA CAMBODIA PROLINNOVA CAMBODIA is composed of 20 institutions. They are 4 NGOs [Centre d’Etude et de Développement Agricole Cambodgien (CEDAC), Partnership for Development of Kampuchea (PADEK), Srer Khmer and Akphiwath Strey], 9 Provincial Departments of Agriculture (PDA) of Takeo, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Thom, Prey Veng, Pursat, Battambang, Kampong Speu, Kampong Cham and Svay Rieng, Department of Agronomy and Agricultural Land Improvement (DAALI) and Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Royal University of Agriculture (RUA), Kampong Cham National School of Agriculture (KCNSA), Prek Leap National School of Agriculture (PNSA), National  Farmer and Nature Net (FNN) and Commune Council of Thloak in Takeo.

Since the start of 2007 PROLINNOVA CAMBODIA has been formalized its inception phase to the maturity in which there was a reform has been made. The new structure and the function of the National Steering Committee (NSC) and the National Working Group (NWG) made the activities of PROLINNOVA CAMBODIA going smoothly. Thank to the contribution of PROLINNOVA CAMBODIA members and teams.

PROGRAM GOAL AND OBJECTIVE
The general objectives of Prolinnova Cambodia are:

• To build an inter-institutional partnership in promoting local innovation and participatory approaches in agricultural research and development
• To institutionalize participatory approaches in agricultural research, extension and education institutions teams

Specifically, Prolinnova seeks to develop and share user-led innovation approach:

• Show the effectiveness of user-led innovation for sustainable development and build strong farmer-extension-researcher partnerships
• Pilot decentralized funding mechanism to promote local innovation and farmer to farmer extension and experimentation on sustainable land management (SLM)

Capacity building

• Build capacities of farmers, researchers, lecturers, extensionists and policy makers in using participatory approach and local innovation development
• Support the establishment of farmer experimenting and farmer networks

Scaling-up and mainstreaming

• Set up a national platform and networking for learning about promoting local innovation
• Integrate theses approaches to farmer-led innovation and experimentation into institutions of agricultural research, extension and education
• Stimulate local, national policy dialogue to favour local innovation

By the end of December 2007, the Prolinnova Cambodia has been completed main activity and result as below:

• Capacity building for 178 development practitioners, researchers and farmers were trained in PID and PTD
• National Steering Committee (NSC) and National Working Group (NWG) meet regularly to follow up country program activities, share responsibility and monitor progress
• PROLINNOVA Cambodia built strong relationship with local NGOs (NEDC: Network of Eco-agriculture Development in Cambodia). Together, they worked closely with farmers, focusing on ecological agriculture and natural resource management
• 269 farmers actively participated in the field experimentation to test innovations as well as to further develop existing local practices which organized by partners through Prolinnova and LISF fund support
• 12 local workshops on local innovation have been organized by the 12 partners' institution. There are 449 people participated the workshop.
• A national forum on local innovation was organized at Prek Leap National School of Agriculture. There are 157 people (56 women) participated in the workshop.
• 8 lecturers from high educational institutions of RUA and KCNSA were facilitated to conduct a one-day field study to meet experimenting farmers in Rattanakiri province. They shared their points of view on local innovation and also the results of their formal and informal experimentation
• Two study visits were organized by PNSA, KNSA and IU in cooperation with CEDAC in Ratanakiri province do field exercise. 121 students attended in the event and learnt about traditional farming systems of indigenous communities
• 4 exchange visits have been organized to 7 Department of Agriculture from Kampong Thom, Kampong Cham, Kampong Speu and Kampong Chhnang, Prey Veng, Svay Rieng and Battambang. There is 102 staff of the department which 15 women participated in the exchange visit. The aim of the exchange visit is to share the experiences of CEDAC in working in agriculture and rural development with the provincial department of agriculture. Leaflets on PROLINNOVA Cambodia were published and widely distributed to partners and stakeholders

For more information, please contact:
Mr Yang Saing Koma (Country Coordinator)
Email: yskoma AT online.com.kh
Mr. Sam Vitou
Email: samvitou AT online.com.kh

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