Cambodia reshapes how food systems fit into national policy and investment

Cambodia is approaching food systems differently, integrating them into how the country plans, finances and delivers across sectors.

As the fifth country in the Asia-Pacific region to update its national food systems pathway since the UNFSS +4 Stocktake, Cambodia’s latest iteration reflects a shift in how priorities are organized and carried forward. Food systems are now integrated across sector plans, climate policy, nutrition strategies and sub-national delivery systems, with clearer roles across institutions.

Coordination between agriculture, health, education and climate actors has deepened, and food systems priorities are increasingly reflected in how programmes are designed and funded.

A stronger focus on diets and demand

Cambodia has identified six nationally defined “Game-Changing Actions” to guide its next phase. Among them, healthy and sustainable diets have emerged as a central thread – linking nutrition, food environments, private sector engagement, and climate resilience.

This focus is shaping decisions beyond communications. It is influencing regulatory discussions, social and behaviour change initiatives, and how market actors are engaged to improve access to safer, more nutritious food.

Earlier progress has largely centred on production, value chains and food safety systems. Current efforts are placing more attention on how food is accessed, marketed and consumed – bringing demand-side considerations more clearly into national planning.

“The six nationally defined ‘Game-Changing Actions’ set a clear direction for transforming Cambodia’s food systems – bringing together efforts across sectors to improve how food is produced, accessed and consumed, contributing to better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life while ensuring that no one is left behind," stated Rebekah Bell, FAO Representative in Cambodia.

Linking food systems with climate and financing

Food systems are now formally included in Cambodia’s updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0), placing them within the country’s climate agenda and investment planning.

This has opened up more integrated discussions across ministries on how to align climate finance, agricultural development and nutrition outcomes. Rather than advancing separate initiatives, there is growing emphasis on structuring programmes and investments in ways that address these priorities together.

Cambodia is developing investment cases to support its six Game-Changing Actions, aligning public spending, development partner support, climate finance and private investment, while building a pipeline of viable projects and strengthening accountability.

Based on its costed roadmap, the country is seeking to mobilize $360 million over five years. With support from the United Nations system through the Joint SDG Fund, a national multi-partner Financing Platform has been established, bringing together international financial institutions, bilateral partners, banks and microfinance institutions to align investments with national priorities.

From strategy to system-level change

Recent policy developments show how this approach is taking shape in practice.

In March, Cambodia launched its National Strategy for Food Fortification 2025–2030, strengthening standards, regulatory oversight and quality assurance systems. The strategy also brings the private sector more directly into efforts to improve diet quality at scale, linking food safety enforcement with nutrition outcomes and market competitiveness.

It is one example of how food systems priorities are being reflected in sector-specific reforms, rather than treated as a separate policy track.

A renewed roadmap to 2030

These developments coincide with the launch of Cambodia’s Second Roadmap for Food Systems for Sustainable Development (2025–2030), led by the Council for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD).

The roadmap sets out national priorities through to 2030, with a focus on improving nutrition, strengthening local value chains, supporting small and medium enterprises, and expanding access to safe, affordable and nutritious food – while also advancing climate resilience, innovation and coordination across sectors.

The process brought together government institutions, development partners and a range of food systems actors, with technical support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and other partners.

“The roadmap is a symbol of our sovereignty, our ambition, and our shared determination to leave no one behind. I call on all stakeholders, local and international, to join hands with Cambodia as we build a food system that nourishes our people, powers our economy, and protects our future," stated H.E. Ouk Rabun, PhD, Senior Minister, Chairman of CARD.

Photo credit: CARD

What comes next

Looking forward, Cambodia is concentrating on a set of practical priorities: advancing work on healthy and sustainable diets, testing improvements in food environments, strengthening consumer information systems, and defining clearer frameworks for private sector engagement.

Food systems are increasingly tied to broader national objectives, supporting resilience, strengthening value chains and improving market competitiveness.

Cambodia’s experience shows how embedding food systems into existing policies and financing can influence decisions across sectors.