EuroCham Cambodia's Agribusiness Committee Convenes Stakeholders to Address Cambodia's Soil Health Crisis

EuroCham Cambodia's Agribusiness Committee, in partnership with Swisscontact in Cambodia and Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture (ISA2), hosted a workshop titled Healthy Soil: Investing in Cambodia's Agricultural Future at TRIBE Phnom Penh Post Office Square on June 4, 2026. The afternoon session brought together agribusiness leaders, government representatives, development partners, and farmers to explore the business case for investing in soil health.

The workshop featured presentations, a panel discussion, and open dialogue with the audience, reflecting the Agribusiness Committee's commitment to connecting scientific knowledge with real-world commercial practice.

Dr Daniel Nugraha, Country Director of Swisscontact in Cambodia, opened the event by framing soil health as a core business issue rather than an environmental one. His presentation painted a stark picture of the challenge facing the sector: 42 per cent of Cambodia's land is under medium to strong degradation, driven by deforestation, continuous monocropping, and unsustainable farming practices, with the annual economic cost of that degradation estimated at USD 677 million. As soil health declines, farmers are forced to compensate with ever-greater volumes of synthetic inputs, driving up production costs, reducing margins, and increasing financial risk in a cycle that compounds over time.

Yet field data presented at the event offered a more optimistic outlook. Farmers adopting regenerative practices — including no-till, cover cropping, and biochar-based fertilisers — recorded yield increases of 26 per cent for maize, 33 per cent for cassava, and 24 per cent for rice compared to conventional methods. Profit gains were even more pronounced, with cassava farmers under conservation agriculture nearly five times more profitable per hectare than their conventional counterparts. Dr Nugraha noted that while regenerative agriculture requires a 2–3 year investment phase before break-even, the long-term trajectory points firmly toward lower costs and stronger margins.

“Cambodia's agriculture sector is at a turning point. Soil degradation is no longer just an environmental concern. It is a direct threat to farmer profitability and the long-term competitiveness of our agribusiness sector,” said Dr Nugraha. “The good news is that the evidence is clear: farmers who invest in regenerative practices see real gains in yields, lower input costs, and greater resilience to climate shocks. Healthy soil is a business asset. The transition takes patience, but the rewards are permanent.” 

Ingrid Van Ginkel, Vice-Chairperson of EuroCham Cambodia's Agribusiness Committee and Managing Director of Husk Venture, highlighted the critical role of the agri-input supply chain in driving change at the farm level. Her presentation noted that farmer decisions — on fertiliser type and quantity, residue management, and pest control — are the single greatest determinant of soil quality, yet those decisions are heavily shaped by agri-input pricing and what suppliers recommend and stock.

She presented research showing that when healthy soil practices are perceived as expensive, complicated, or risky, adoption remains limited regardless of the evidence. Van Ginkel pointed to agri-input companies as a largely untapped lever for scaling regenerative agriculture across Cambodia, making the business case for improving soil quality and emphasising the need for alignment across value chains to support the expansion of sustainable agriculture practices.

“Farmers will not embrace green production if their balance books are in the red. This means that we need to make sure farmers get a positive ROI from the first application of products that support increasing soil health," said Van Ginkel. “Climate change and depleted soils are a threat to food security. Healthy soil is not just a nice sustainability story; it is a risk management strategy. But you cannot make this change alone. That's why you need to have all of the stakeholders – input providers, farmers, investors, and regulators – in the same room to make real lasting progress towards sustainable agriculture in Cambodia."

A panel discussion moderated by Setha Rath, Deputy Team Leader at Swisscontact in Cambodia, brought together perspectives from across the value chain. Panelists included Dipen Joshi, Business and Sustainability Head at Olam Cambodia; Leng Vira, Agronomist at the Department of Agricultural Land and Fertiliser Management (CARDEC/DALFM); and Chan Sereiratha, Vice-Chairperson of EuroCham Cambodia's Agribusiness Committee and Country Manager at East West Seed.

The discussion examined the barriers Cambodian agribusinesses face in transitioning to more sustainable practices, and the financial and technical partnerships needed to make that transition viable.

Closing remarks were delivered by Okhna Sovithy Sothy, Chairperson of the EuroCham Agribusiness Committee and Chairperson of 8S Agro-Industry Co., Ltd, who called on businesses, government, and development partners to align their efforts toward building a more resilient and competitive agricultural sector in Cambodia.

The event concluded with a networking session, providing attendees the opportunity to forge new partnerships focused on sustainable agribusiness solutions.

This press release was supplied.