Cambodia and Ghana have recently announced a proposal for a new agricultural partnership, aimed at aiding global food security and promoting international cooperation. The partnership was proposed by Cambodia’s Agriculture Minister, H.E Dith Tina, who met with Florence Buerki Akonor, the ambassador of Ghana to discuss overseas agricultural investments.
Cambodian investment in milled rice in Cuba and the Ivory Coast has already been successful as the country has evolved from one facing food insecurity to a leading rice exporter. The minister stated that securing security, stability, and legal, political, and technical coordination are key elements to successful collaboration.
The focus of the partnership will be on quality, safety, cost reduction, economic efficiency, and sustainability, with a goal to export rice and processed milled rice. To ensure profitability, stability, and inspection of agricultural inputs and costs, working groups will continue to develop a memorandum of understanding (MoU) based on agreed terms between the countries, with a key emphasis on legal and technical aspects.
According to Hong Vannak, an economist, the ministry’s attention to quality, safety, and cost reduction is commendable and suggested that Cambodia translates political framework agreements into actionable plans. Prime Minister Hun Sen encourages the private sector and development partners to support law enforcement in food safety, stressing the importance of food safety on society’s health and well-being.
The alliance between Cambodia and Ghana has the potential to result in improved agricultural strategies and global food security. With their democratic governance and similar climates favorable for agriculture, this partnership will create a win-win situation for both countries. The success of this partnership could also encourage other countries to form partnerships to foster international cooperation for global food security.
Source: The PhnomPenh Post
