Phnom Penh, 11 April 2025 — The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), has officially launched the Climate Resilience Enhancement for Building Adaptive Capacity in Agri-Value Chains in Cambodia (CREA) project — a bold new initiative to strengthen climate resilience across Cambodia’s rural farming communities.

With rising climate threats such as droughts, pest outbreaks, and erratic rainfall patterns affecting agriculture, CREA supports smallholder farmers and rural enterprises by scaling up climate-resilient technologies (CRTs) and enabling access to innovative finance mechanisms. The six-year project is financed through a US$4.86 million grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and benefits from an additional US$11.32 million in co-financing, including US$9.36 million in-kind support from the Royal Government of Cambodia and US$1.96 million from private sector partners.

‘’CREA represents an additional step forward in strengthening the resilience of Cambodia’s rural communities to climate change. It brings technology, innovative financing solutions, and adaptation benefits together to tackle climate risks for rural smallholders in Cambodia. As IFAD, we are proud to serve as a catalyst for mobilising climate finance to support transformative operations in the country. We extend our gratitude to the Global Environment Facility for financing the project.”, said Mr Frew Behabtu, Country Director, IFAD Cambodia.

The launch event took place over two days in Phnom Penh, with over 70 participants from government ministries, development partners, and the private sector. Key speakers included H.E. Dr. Meas Pyseth, Secretary of State at MAFF and Director of the CREA Project, and Seng Tuy, CREA Project Manager and Director of the Department of Agricultural Engineering at MAFF. The event featured CRT innovations such as solar irrigation systems, precision agriculture, and inclusive finance models from partners including EnergyLab, IMB Cambodia, Wing Bank, and Chamroeun Microfinance.

“We are proud to lead this important project together with our development and financial institution partners to unlock innovative finance-based climate-smart, inclusive growth for our farmers and agricultural cooperatives.” said H.E. Dr. Meas Pyseth (PhD)” said H.E. Dr. Meas Pyseth.

CREA is structured around three components: promoting CRTs, unlocking access to climate-smart finance, and strengthening the enabling environment for resilient agri-value chains. The project focuses on key value chains including cashew, vegetables, fresh and processed fruits, pepper, maize, and backyard chicken, all of which are vulnerable to climate impacts.

“Our goal is to ensure that farmers and agri-enterprises not only access technologies but also have the systems, support, and financing to use them effectively,” said Seng Tuy.

“This project is not just about tools and funding — it’s about building a long-term system where farmers have the knowledge, capacity, and resilience to thrive,” added Karan Sehgal, Project Management Specialist.

IFAD has accompanied Cambodia’s development journey since the mid-1990s, moving from recovery and ensuring food security to building institutions to now focusing on the market economy. Since 1996, IFAD has helped finance 12 rural development programmes and projects in the country worth a total investment of US$1 billion, of which US$349 million came from IFAD’s own resources. These investments have benefited over 1.56 million households in Cambodia.