DeiMeas (Golden Soil) Initiative
Agroecology presents manifold benefits for both the planet and people. Techniques such as cover cropping, crop diversification and land levelling can increase carbon sequestration, enhance soil health and biodiversity, and improve long-term crop yields.
In Cambodia, where agriculture contributes to 22% of its GDP, these sustainable practices are pivotal for achieving national targets for land restoration and emissions reductions. However, the transition to agroecological practices, while beneficial in the long run, poses significant short-term financial risks to smallholder farmers– the risk of income losses from lower crop yields in the initial years.
The DeiMeas (Golden Soil) initiative is designed to plug this gap. By establishing a transition financing mechanism to cover the initial decrease in income, smallholder farmers can be incentivised to make a permanent switch to these beneficial practices.
Quantedge Advancement Initiative is supporting the pilot for DeiMeas, led by the Department of Agricultural Land Resources Management (DALRM) and supported by Swisscontact, the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), and SmartAgro.¹ This initiative seeks to engage more than 150 farmers across 500 hectares in Battambang province, Cambodia, with three key activity pillars crucial for its success:
In Cambodia, where agriculture contributes to 22% of its GDP, these sustainable practices are pivotal for achieving national targets for land restoration and emissions reductions. However, the transition to agroecological practices, while beneficial in the long run, poses significant short-term financial risks to smallholder farmers– the risk of income losses from lower crop yields in the initial years.
The DeiMeas (Golden Soil) initiative is designed to plug this gap. By establishing a transition financing mechanism to cover the initial decrease in income, smallholder farmers can be incentivised to make a permanent switch to these beneficial practices.
Quantedge Advancement Initiative is supporting the pilot for DeiMeas, led by the Department of Agricultural Land Resources Management (DALRM) and supported by Swisscontact, the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), and SmartAgro.¹ This initiative seeks to engage more than 150 farmers across 500 hectares in Battambang province, Cambodia, with three key activity pillars crucial for its success:
- Providing financial incentives to smallholder farmers via a transparent reward system, incentivising them to implement agroecological practices
- Creating a context-specific, cost-effective Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system for farmers to quantify the climate, ecological and other co-benefits of agroecology.
- Exploring financial mechanisms (e.g. carbon credits, Payments for Ecosystem Services) to develop a sustainable business model to reward farmers’ switch to agroecological practices.
Government officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries visit a DeiMeas farmer’s plot to observe the implementation of agroecological practices.
(Photo by Swisscontact)
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Farmers under the DeiMeas pilot in Reang Kesei commune at the annual rewards ceremony. (Photo by Swisscontact)
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The pilot aims to reduce or avoid an estimated 2,000 tCO2e of greenhouse gas emissions while increasing soil quality at participating farmers’ croplands. Beyond the first few years, the farmers also stand to gain from higher crop yields and higher incomes.
We hope that our support for the DeiMeas pilot will enable the establishment of a replicable transition financing mechanism, which can bring agroecological practices to scale and amplify its positive effects across the country.
Find out more:
We hope that our support for the DeiMeas pilot will enable the establishment of a replicable transition financing mechanism, which can bring agroecological practices to scale and amplify its positive effects across the country.
Find out more:
¹ DeiMeas is a 3-year pilot by the Department of Agriculture Land Resources Management (DALRM), implemented as part of the "Agroecology and Safe Food System Transitions in South-East Asia" (ASSET, FFEM) project. It is also part of Swisscontact’s Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture (ISA) programme, which aims to create systemic change to advance agroecology in Cambodia. Other activities under ISA include capacity building and research, technology provisioning, and extension services, which collectively address different gaps in implementing agroecological practices, creating a holistic approach towards sustainable farming in the country.