Source: Save the Children
A new NZD$12 million multi-year project aimed at increasing household incomes, reducing child labour, and ensuring communities across Cambodia are better off through innovative horticultural practices was announced yesterday afternoon (local time) at an event attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Winston Peters in Phnom Penh.
The Growing Transformative Horticulture (GROWTH) project is funded by the New Zealand Government and Kiwi donors and will be implemented by Save the Children in Cambodia alongside technical partner iDE Cambodia. The project aims to create healthier, more resilient households by increasing farmer incomes, improving nutrition, and creating safer environments for children across Cambodia’s Koh Kong, Kampot, Siem Reap, and Banteay Meanchey provinces.
Over the next five years (2025-2030), the programme will reach 8,000 farming households, 40,000 people and strengthen 700 local institutions and enterprises, with more than 165,000 people set to benefit indirectly.
By transforming Cambodia’s horticulture sector through inclusive, climate-resilient market development, GROWTH aims to ensure that improved livelihoods translate directly into better outcomes for children – supporting families to keep children in school, reduce economic-driven risks, and ensure safer labour practices.
“Children thrive when families are resilient,” Save the Children Cambodia Country Director Reaksmey Hong says.
“By boosting incomes, expanding access to safe farming practices, and embedding child protection and nutrition into agricultural work, GROWTH ensures that economic development leads to real improvements in children’s lives.”
The project builds on the learnings from previous climate-smart agricultural resilience and market linkage programmes funded by the New Zealand Government.
Today’s event – marking the official announcement of the partnership – was attended by Minister Peters, alongside Cambodian government officials, Save the Children Cambodia Country Director Reaksmey Hong and iDE Country Director Kevin Robbins.
New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rt Honourable Winston Peters, said, “New Zealand proudly supports the GROWTH project in Cambodia. The project aims to enhance the horticulture sector, which is vital as a driver of rural prosperity, and builds on over 20 years of agricultural collaboration.”
The programme places strong emphasis on gender equality, disability inclusion and safe community environments. By addressing the systemic barriers that prevent women, youth, people with disabilities and marginalised groups from participating in markets, GROWTH helps households build protective, stable conditions for children.
“GROWTH represents a new generation of agricultural programming – one that not only strengthens markets, but also strengthens families,” says iDE Cambodia Country Director Kevin Robbins.
“Better incomes, climate resilience and inclusive market opportunities create the foundation for safer, healthier futures for children in Cambodia.”
The event was held Saturday 28 November local time.
About Save the Children
Save the Children works in more than 110 countries around the world, working to create irreversible positive change for and with children. Our vision is a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development, and participation. Areas of work include humanitarian and emergency response, child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.
iDE powers entrepreneurs and builds inclusive market ecosystems to help low income and marginalized communities thrive on their own terms. Our SHE team leads gender-sensitive entrepreneurship programs across sectors to support women’s economic empowerment and fuel local economies. We work in 11 countries across the themes of agriculture and food systems, climate change and resilience, gender equality, and WASH.
