Participatory Action Research on Integrating the School-plus-Home Garden cum Biodiversity Enhancement and Enterprise for the Improvement of Agricultural Technology Parks (ATPs) and Mini-ATPs in Cambodia

Rationale/Background of the Study

As it continues to scale up inclusive and participatory agricultural and rural development (ARD) models that promote food and nutritional security, sustainable farming systems and natural resource management, and youth engagement in ARD, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study expanded its implementation of School-plus-Home Gardens Project (S+HGP) to Cambodia in partnership with the Center of Excellence on Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Nutrition (CE SAIN) of the Royal University of Agriculture of Cambodia. The project titled, "Participatory Action Research on Integrating the School-plus-Home Garden cum Biodiversity Enhancement and Enterprise for the Improvement of Agricultural Technology Parks (ATPs) and Mini-ATPs in Cambodia" or SHGBEE Cambodia, aims to create an enabling environment for integrating the SHGBEE concepts in the improvement of CE SAIN's agricultural technology parks (ATPs) and mini-ATPs.

CE SAIN aims to foster private-sector innovation, agricultural research, education, training and extension, and public-sector capacity building through improved collaboration and knowledge sharing that is focused on improving food and nutritional security in Cambodia. Currently, it has seven (7) ATPs that serve as learning platform to scientists and practitioners in showcasing high-potential technologies and strategies to farmers, communities, policy makers, and donor agencies that will sustainably intensify smallholder agriculture production systems. Most of these ATPs are coupled with mini-ATPs that are lodged in selected high schools in Preah Vihear, Siem Reap, Kompong Thom, and Prey eng provinces. These mini-ATPs provide learning laboratories for youth engagement in agriculture activities, hands-on practices, integration of agripreneurship concept in class activities, and internship placement. It is vital to have interventions that will strengthen these ATPs and mini-ATPs and intensify strategies that will inspire and motivate the youth to pursue agriculture-related courses.

To complement in improving these ATPs and mini-ATPs, SEARCA started off its groundwork through implementation of a capacity-building program for the teachers and school garden coordinators of CE SAIN's attached high schools. In 2021, a joint undertaking between SEARCA and CE SAIN, in partnership with Kansas State University (KSU) and the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), organized the e-training series titled, "Trainers' Training for Integrating the School-plus-Home Gardens cum Biodiversity Enhancement Enterprise in the Establishment of Agricultural Technology Parks (ATPs) and Mini-ATPs in Cambodia" that run from 2 December 2021 to 2 March 2022. The e-training was implemented via Zoom, composed of weekly online lectures and workshops and participated in by selected teachers, school head, and representatives of CE SAIN's target schools. Moreover, it aimed to boost the capacity of teachers and local government offices by developing a core team with added information, skills, and understanding to properly disseminate and inculcate the needed concepts and values to high school students from CESAIN's target schools with ATPs and mini-ATPs.

In this e-training, the participants identified key challenges in school gardening and school-based nutrition program in Cambodia that can be addressed by a multistakeholder participatory action research. From these, they crafted action plans that endeavors to:

1. Address malnutrition and food security;
2. Improve students' knowledge, skills and attitudes towards gardening and share this to their rural communities; and
3. Address students' low interest in growing crops and little knowledge in growing them.

Thus, it is against these challenges that SEARCA and CE SAIN collaborated to implement the SHGBEE Cambodia Project. Replicating the S+HGP model with added components, the SHGBEE Cambodia envisages to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDG), specifically SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 3 (good health and well-being), SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth), SDG 10 (reduced inequalities), and SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production).

Objectives

The project generally aims to create an enabling environment for integrating the SHGBEE concepts in the improvement of CE SAIN's agricultural technology parks (ATPs) and mini-ATPs.

Specifically, it aims to:

1. Establish school gardens for education and food and nutrition security;
2. Enhance capability of school and community members towards food and nutrition security;
3. Strengthen institutional partnerships of the schools, households, and local authorities with the support of ATPs/mini-ATPs; and
4. Recommend strategies and policies to ensure the sustainability of SHGBEE program implementation among pilot schools and future adopted schools.

Expected Outputs

1. Nutritional assessment and perception of youth, teachers/SHGBEE implementers, and households on agriculture (nutrition + socioeconomic components)
2. Modules for integrating SHGBEE concepts in lesson plans and other learning materials
3. Strengthened capacity and partnerships among key stakeholders and local authorities
4. Operations manual for scaling out of SHGBEE Project in Cambodia
5. Strategies and policies to ensure sustainability of SHGBEE program implementation

Framework

This project proposal adopts the SEARCA's ten guiding steps in establishing the S+HGP model (Figure 1) that may be integrated in the existing program of CESAIN and will be relevant in strengthening the implementation of its ATPs and mini-ATPs in Cambodia. The ten guiding steps are outlined below:

1. Starting up school gardens
2. Constructing artistic school gardens
3. Establishing school gardens for food and nutrition
4. Establishing school gardens for education
5. Linking school gardens with children's homes
6. Strengthening partnerships with local institutions and building capacity of project partners
7. Monitoring progress and evaluating performance
8. Disseminating information and enhancing awareness
9. Scaling the SHGBEE
10. Determining overall outcomes and way forward

With the integration of the S+HGP model, the project will evolve into five components: education, nutrition, economics, biodiversity enhancement, and enterprise development. Hence, it aims to improve the students' nutrition, education, and economic well-being with mindset change and capacity enhancement on agrobiodiversity stewardship, sustainable livelihood, and enterprise.

Figure 1. Framework for establishing ATPs and Mini-ATPs integrating the SHGBEE concepts (adapted from Calub et al., 2019)

Approach and Methodology

Phase 1: Establishment of school gardens for education and food and nutrition security

• Establish linkages with national/local departments (Agriculture and Education)
• Conduct Baseline Study and Needs Assessment
• Conduct benchmarking activity / cross visits to the Philippines

Phase 2: Home gardening for improving the nutrition, health, and livelihood of children and their families

• Establish food gardens in students' homes adopting agricultural management practices in ATPs or mini-ATPs
• Support the development of lesson plan for practical exercise in school garden for integration in the curriculum
• Identify locally grown crops/Development and standardization of recipes from locally grown crops – cooking contest (Mother-Student/ Students' partnership) + Recipe book
• Develop agribusiness plan for the school and home (baseline survey, development/enhancement of modules, agribusiness plan operation and evaluation)
• Organize capacity building/enhancement activities for the school and home garden operators

Phase 3: Scaling-up and dissemination of project outputs

• Monitoring and evaluation of project activities and outputs
• Organize inter-school benchmarking visits
• Conduct training for other schools
• Endline assessment
• Formulate strategies and policy recommendations for the sustainability of the program
• Develop operations manual for SHGBEE in mini-ATPs
• Conduct a national workshop on SHGBEE dissemination

Beneficiaries

• Chea Sim Tbeng Meanchey High School
• Raksmey Sophanna High School
• Samdech Euv High School
• Institute of Community Development