Building resilient livelihoods through people-centred agricultural extension

Date released

23 July 2026

Across Northwest Cambodia, smallholder farmers live and work within increasingly complex and uncertain environments. Climate variability, fluctuating market conditions, rising input costs and long-standing structural constraints shape how farming households make decisions.

For many, these challenges are interconnected, affecting not only agricultural productivity but also wellbeing, food security and future opportunities.

The 6-year A$4.5 million Next Generation Agricultural Extension project, supported by ACIAR and led by The University of Melbourne, is seeking to rethink traditional approaches to agricultural extension (that is, applying scientific research and new knowledge to farming practices).

Moving beyond the simple delivery of technologies or inputs, the project is focused on how farmers interact with their environments, markets and communities. Through sustained engagement, the project is exploring the types of support that enable farmers to improve their livelihoods and move toward their own vision of a ‘good life.’

As these 6 stories about farmers and their communities in Battambang and Pailin provinces highlight, meaningful change does not come via a single intervention, but through a combination of knowledge, access, resources and relationships that together shape farmers’ decisions and possibilities.

They show that development is most effective when it strengthens farmers’ decision-making ability, confidence and connections, providing a rich understanding of agricultural transformation in Northwest Cambodia, with farmers as active agents of change.

Knowledge strengthens cassava production

Farmers gather in a cassava field for a training session. — Explaining different cassava diseases and treatments through field observation in Samlout district, Battambang. Photo credit: Chariya Korn

Cassava farmers face a range of pressures, including erratic rainfall, declining soil fertility and increasing pest and disease outbreaks, like cassava mosaic disease and root rot. Many also lack access to high-quality planting material and apply inputs ineffectively, limiting yields.

Through an 8-day Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) training program that combined workshops, field visits and hands-on learning, the project supported farmers to develop practical skills in variety selection, soil preparation, fertiliser use and pest management. Training was directly based on farmer-identified challenges, making it highly relevant.

As a result, farmers improved planting practices, adopted disease-free stems and applied fertilisers more effectively to manage weeds and pests with greater precision. In some cases, yields doubled from around 10 to 20 tonnes per hectare. Improved production planning also increased financial awareness.

Beyond technical gains, farmers reported increased confidence, reduced fear of crop failure and greater optimism about farming under changing climate conditions. While access to capital remains a barrier, the training demonstrates how knowledge, when grounded in practice, can drive meaningful change.

Learn more about the farmers’ experiences: Farmer-centred, field-based extension to support cassava production.

Household resilience through financial literacy

For many farmer households in Northwest Cambodia, challenges extend beyond agricultural production to financial management.

Many households have little or no savings and rely on informal borrowing to cope with emergencies. This financial insecurity created stress, particularly for women responsible for managing household finances. However, improved financial literacy has helped farmers gain control over their resources and reduce vulnerability.

The project delivered 2-day training sessions across eight villages, where farmers learned budgeting, saving strategies and debt management. Practical exercises helped participants distinguish between essential and non-essential spending.

The impact was transformative. Farmers began saving small amounts regularly, reduced unnecessary expenses and approached borrowing more cautiously. Even modest savings provided a sense of security and reduced stress.

This led to psychological change. Farmers reported increased confidence, improved decision-making, and reduced anxiety. Women, in particular, gained a stronger voice in household financial discussions.

While financial literacy alone cannot address broader structural constraints, the project demonstrated it can provide households with key tools to better manage risk, plan investments and support agricultural activities.

Learn more about the farmers’ experiences: Building financial confidence among smallholder farmers.

Young man writing in Khmer — A participant records key ideas during a financial literacy training workshop.

Savings groups promote collective resilience in village

While individual financial skills are important, collective action can further strengthen resilience.

In communities characterised by irregular income and limited access to formal banking, savings groups provide a locally managed system for saving and borrowing. Members contribute small amounts regularly and can access loans at fair terms.

Some groups accumulated significant collective savings as part of the project, providing access to capital that did not previously exist within villages and using loans for farming, small businesses, education and emergencies.

Beyond financial benefits, the savings groups also build trust and transparency, and shared responsibility through simple, accessible management systems. They strengthen social cohesion and help households reduce reliance on high-interest moneylenders.

Women make up the majority of members of these groups and hold key leadership roles, contributing to greater participation in decision-making.

Over time, they provide a pathway toward improved financial planning and resilience in the face of shocks.

Learn more about the farmers’ experiences: Building financial confidence among smallholder farmers.

Community members participate in a village savings group meeting. — Savings group meeting in Sala Krau, Pailin. Photo credit: Pherom Song.

Solar-powered wells catalyse livelihood transformation

Access to water underpins both daily life and agricultural productivity. In upland communities, water scarcity has long been a major constraint. Many households rely on seasonal ponds that dry up during the dry season, forcing them to purchase costly water, reducing the amount available for food, education and farming.

As part of the project, solar-powered deep wells provide year-round access to clean water at no cost. Managed collectively by village committees, the wells ensure shared access and long-term sustainability.

The impact was significant. Households saved between A$7 and 20 per week, which they could then reinvest in food, education, livestock and agricultural inputs. Women, who previously collected water, had more time for childcare and other productive activities.

Learn more about the farmers’ experience: Clean water, brighter futures: How solar wells are transforming upland villages.

An irrigation pump draws water from a canal to nearby crop fields. — Water pump system using a 2WD tractor for crop irrigation.

Laser land-levelling for agricultural productivity

Uneven fields can reduce yields by causing inefficient water distribution, poor fertiliser use and increased weed growth. Farmers often invest significant labour and fuel in irrigation, with limited results.

Through the project’s collaboration with farmers to trial land-levelling interventions, farmers gained access to laser land-levelling technology to precisely level fields, something most farmers would not normally be able to afford.

The benefits were immediate. Farmers reported reduced irrigation time, lower fuel costs and significant reductions in weeds. Water and fertiliser were distributed more evenly, leading to improved yields.

The emotional impact was also important. Farmers described renewed pride in their fields and greater motivation to invest in farming. Neighbours observed the results, creating a ripple effect of interest and potential adoption.

Learn more about the farmers’ experiences: Levelling the field, lifting hopes.

Tractor on a dry field levelling the ground — Laser land-levelling in Banan district, Battambang. Photo credit: Sophea Yous

Home vegetable gardens and food security

Agricultural development is not only about income. It is also about food security, nutrition and food safety.

Many farmers in Northwest Cambodia expressed concerns about the safety of vegetables purchased from markets, particularly regarding pesticide use.

Through training and shared learning, households began establishing home gardens to produce their own vegetables. These gardens provide a reliable source of fresh, safe food, reducing dependence on markets.

As farmers gained knowledge, confidence and a sense of control over their food supply, they could share that within families and communities, strengthening local knowledge networks.

Home gardening also supports small-scale income generation and complements other livelihood activities, contributing to overall household resilience.

Learn more about the farmers’ experiences: Growing confidence: Home vegetable gardens and the value of learning together.

Group photo of people sitting in their home vegetable garden

Research Assistants Chariya Korn, Saroeut Yong and Sophea Yous with vegetable farmers in Banan district. Photo credit: Dany Moeut.

A farmer removes weeds in a thriving home vegetable garden.

A farmer tends a home vegetable garden established through project-supported training, helping provide nutritious food for the household year-round.

A farmer waters vegetables in a home garden beside a small water pond.

A farmer tends vegetables in a home garden supported by integrated water management.

Community members learn about vegetable production in a shade-house garden.

Community members visit a home vegetable garden to learn improved growing techniques.

Long-term, people-centred investment

From a development perspective, these experiences highlight the importance of long-term, people-centred investment.

‘What is most powerful in these stories is not just improved yields or incomes, but the confidence and capability that farmers are building. When farmers are able to make informed decisions and adapt to change, the impact extends well beyond the life of the project,’ said Dr Todd Sanderson, ACIAR Research Program Manager Social Systems, Policy and Economics.

Project leader Dr Brian Cook from the University of Melbourne explains how the project reinforced a shift in the way extension is understood and practised.

‘These stories show that effective extension is not about delivering solutions to farmers, but about working alongside them, understanding their realities, building trust and supporting the pathways they define for themselves,’ he said.

Learn more about the project: 'Next generation agricultural extension: social relations for practice change' (SSS/2019/138).