Scaling up bio-input pathways for rice production toward agroecology transition in Cambodia

Rice is vital to Cambodia's economy and food security, accounting for 16.7% of the country's GDP in 2024. However, the increasing reliance on chemical pesticides to meet export demands and boost yields has raised concerns about environmental, health, and sustainability issues. To shift toward sustainable agriculture, this policy brief advocates scaling up agricultural bio-inputs—such as biofertilizers and biopesticides. These inputs, once common in Cambodian farming, are now underutilized due to limited research and development (R&D) capacity, high costs, market fragmentation, and doubts about their effectiveness.