Agriculture-Based Growth and Resilience Opportunities for Women (AGROW)

Agriculture-based Growth and Resilience Opportunities for Women (AGROW)

Status: Completed (AGROW ran from January 2022 through December 2024)

Goal: To enhance the socio-economic resilience of women and girls through One Health approaches, with a focus on sustainable agriculture, animal health, and climate-smart food systems.

Where: Cambodia (Ratanakmondul, Banan and Ek Phnom Districts in Battambang Province)

Reach: Over 21,000 individuals reached, 59% of whom were women

🔗 Download the full AGROW Project Brief (PDF)

The Situation

In rural Cambodia, over 65% of people depend on agriculture, forestry, or fisheries for their livelihoods. Yet women—despite playing a central role in food production—have long faced barriers to accessing resources, markets, and leadership opportunities. Environmental shocks, limited veterinary services, and outdated farming techniques further compounded food insecurity and constrained income generation.

What We Achieved

AGROW reached 21,360 individuals—59% of them women—surpassing its original target fivefold. Delivered with local partner organizations, the program supported women’s empowerment, improved food security, and strengthened animal health systems through a One Health lens. Key results include:

• 48 women-led agricultural groups formed, with 912 members (91% women), fostering peer learning, leadership, and business collaboration.
• 16,201 people trained in gender equality, climate-resilient agriculture, animal health, value-added production, and cooperative development.
• Significant income gains for women farmers, including a 311% increase in chicken farming income and a 308% increase in cricket farming income.
• Vegetable yields more than doubled, from 312 kg to 680 kg per cycle, through composting, organic pest control, and efficient irrigation.
• 42,256 livestock treated, including 40,576 chickens vaccinated or dewormed and 1,680 cattle receiving veterinary care.
• 12 One Health Demonstration Sites established to showcase sustainable farming, zoonotic disease prevention, and environmental health practices.
• Microcredit and co-op grants distributed to support women-led agribusinesses and local food value chains.
• Climate-smart techniques adopted at scale, including adapted seeds, crop rotation, bio-secure animal housing, and natural fertilizers.
• Community Health Days hosted to raise awareness about nutrition, sanitation, and zoonotic disease risks.
• Graduates of AGROW’s training programs now serve as mentors and demonstration farmers, spreading knowledge within their communities.

Sustainability

AGROW emphasized community ownership by training Village Animal Health Workers (VAHWs), supporting local co-ops, and strengthening agricultural value chains. Its integrated One Health approach helped embed sustainable practices across farming systems, animal care, and environmental management.

Human Rights & Gender Equality

At its core, AGROW applied a rights-based approach, promoting gender equality as essential to community resilience. Women were prioritized in all activities—from training and leadership development to financial support and decision-making roles. The program’s gender strategy was grounded in participatory assessments and informed by ongoing learning.

Environmental Impact

AGROW adopted climate-smart farming and sustainable livestock practices that minimized ecological harm. One Health Demonstration Sites modeled these techniques and promoted their adoption among farming communities. Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) guided all implementation activities.

The AGROW project was made possible through the generous support of Global Affairs Canada.

Partners in Cambodia:

Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (AVSF Cambodia): Focused on animal health, agroecology, and farmer training in collaboration with the Royal University of Agriculture.

Agriculture Development Action (ADA): A Cambodian NGO supporting vulnerable populations through sustainable agriculture and community development since 1998.