A Multi‑stakeholder Dialogue on Integrated Crop Residue Management was co‑organized in Kep Province on 25 March 2026 by the Department of Agricultural Engineering of the General Department of Agriculture (GDA) of the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (CSAM) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The Dialogue aimed to engage government agencies, financial institutions, the private sector, and other relevant stakeholders in advancing sustainable crop residue management in Cambodia.

Serving as a platform for discussion and exchange, the Dialogue strengthened understanding of the importance of sustainable crop residue management, facilitated the sharing of experiences, and promoted coordination at the local level in policy support and resource mobilization. Participants also provided recommendations and suggested implementation mechanisms to scale up effective practices nationwide and in their respective communities. Opening remarks were delivered by Mr. Seng Savat, Advisor to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Mr. Seng Tuy, Director of Agricultural Engineering under the General Directorate of Agriculture; and CSAM. Experts from the Ministry of Environment, international organizations, and universities were also invited to present and share their recommendations at the event.

The Dialogue was convened under the umbrella of CSAM’s ongoing four‑year project “Strengthening Mechanization‑based Solutions for Climate‑Smart Crop Residue Management in Cambodia, Indonesia and Nepal”. The project seeks to reduce straw burning and scale up crop residue management for sustainable, climate‑smart agriculture in the three target countries. It builds on CSAM’s earlier Regional Initiative on Mechanization Solutions for Integrated Management of Straw Residue in Asia and the Pacific, which successfully tested mechanization‑based solutions and strengthened stakeholder capacities in Cambodia, Indonesia, and Nepal.

In the afternoon, a Workshop on Custom Hiring Businesses for Agricultural Machinery in Straw Management for Community Groups and Entrepreneurs was convened, with around 70 participants, including approximately 60 local farmers. Divided into three groups, participants actively exchanged knowledge and experiences on establishing and managing custom hiring businesses. The discussions enhanced the capacity of community groups and entrepreneurs and strengthened opportunities for sustainable business development.

Following the Dialogue and Workshop, the CSAM delegation visited the project’s pilot sites and three local farmer cooperatives in Takeo Province, with the assistance of an international expert to provide recommendations for the next steps of the project implementation.