Root Causes of Hunger in Cambodia

Despite economic growth, Cambodia faces persistent food insecurity. Key drivers:

1. Poverty & Inequality

• GDP per capita ~$1,800 (2023); ~17% below national poverty line
• Rural poverty 2.5× urban; landlessness rising
• Limited social protection coverage

2. Food System Vulnerabilities

• Rice-dominated monoculture; low diversification
• Smallholder farms (<1 ha avg); low productivity, limited irrigation (20% irrigated)
• Post-harvest losses: 15–25% (poor storage, transport)
• Climate shocks: Floods (Mekong/Tonlé Sap), droughts increasing

3. Nutritional Quality

• Stunting: 22% of children <5 (2022)
• Wasting: 9.6%
• Micronutrient deficiencies (iron, zinc, Vit A) widespread
• Dietary diversity low (rice + little protein/veg)

4. Structural Constraints

• Land tenure insecurity (economic land concessions)
• Weak agricultural extension, credit access
• Corruption in input distribution, land allocation
• Migration drains rural labor

5. Shocks

• COVID-19: income loss, supply disruption
• Ukraine war: fertilizer/fuel price spikes
• 2020 floods: 800K affected, 300K ha rice damaged

Solutions require: climate-resilient agriculture, nutrition-sensitive social protection, land reform, market access for smallholders, governance reform.