Policy Talk

The Asia Foundation and Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) are co-organizing a Virtual Policy Talk on “Public Land Allocation for Small and Medium Farms: Livelihood Alternatives to Job Losses Caused by COVID 19” on Thursday, 27 August 2020, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. via Zoom.

About the Talk

The Centre for Policy Studies and The Asia Foundation are co-organizing a virtual Policy Talk on “Public Land Allocation for Small and Medium Farms: Livelihood Alternatives to Job Losses Caused by COVID 19.” The discussion will center on how public land can be better allocated and utilized for greater economic benefits in Cambodia. CPS has conducted a comprehensive feasibility study on “Land Allocation for Small and Medium Farms (LASAMF)” in the past four years, in the Cambodian context of large-scale economic land concessions (ELCs), and small-scaled land allocation for social and economic development (LASED). The study looks into 16 revoked ELCs in five provinces and assesses the feasibility of innovative public land policy to better utilize such lands. The discussion is motivated by the current COVID-19 crisis which make the feasibility study even more relevant for policy discussion and consideration given there are high number of returned migrant workers from both within the country and neighboring countries who, to some extent, have to return to farming.

A policy option to promote small and medium farms is seen as one of the livelihoods’ coping strategies during COVID-19 pandemic situation among the majority of Cambodian farmers and those who have lost jobs from affected sectors including migrant workers. Questions on challenges and potential policy options might be of great interests for the general public and relevant stakeholders. The key questions could be “What have been and are impacts of COVID-19 on majority Cambodian smallholder farmer, and workers? Can small and medium farming be a good alternative-livelihood strategy considering the COVID-19 pandemic? If so, what should be the effective and innovative public land policy for Cambodia during such crisis?” The answers to these questions will be given by the report author, enriched with different views from researcher, relevant policy makers and key stakeholders working in the sector.

The guest speakers in this talk include:

• Mr. Chan Sophal, Executive Director, Centre for Policy Studies;
• Ms. Asisah Man, Land Governance Coordinator, Oxfam; and
• Mr. Poch Sophorn, National Policy Advisor at the Mekong Region Land Governance (MRLG) Project, will be the moderator.

About the Panelist

Mr. CHAN Sophal: CHAN Sophal is Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS), a Cambodian think tank providing research and consulting services in the areas of economic development, mainly in agriculture and land. For a progressive career over the past 27 years, he has been researcher and manager in various institutions. Mr Chan received an MSc in Agricultural Economics from the University of London, Imperial College at Wye, UK.

Ms. Asisah Man: A Cambodian woman who believes that together we could make changed, Ms. Asisah holds Bachelor of Architect and Urban Planning at Norton University and Master in Development Study at Royal University of Phnom Penh. She started her career quickly as architectural designer and then as social researcher. Being passionate about fair share from development and leave no one behind, she has sharpened her career focus on influencing, advocacy and campaign where she could support local communities to speak about themselves. Before joining Oxfam in Cambodia, she was a project Coordinator with the NGO Forum on Cambodia where she coordinated a Network of Land and Housing Rights.  She believes that working collectively would lead to effectiveness and efficiency of social development.  Having been working in this sector for more than 8 years, she has been trained and learned from experienced across the globe of success and failure of development without diverse participation. She has work together with others to bring up development agendas from grassroots to national and international level to be heard by decision makers.

Mr. Poch Sophorn: Prior to the National Policy Advisor at the Mekong Region Land Governance (MRLG) Project, Sophorn served as Director of Independent Mediation Organization. He has also worked for German international cooperation – GIZ in Cambodia’s land sector for over 15 years. He has worked on land governance, among others, to promote the customary tenure of Indigenous Community and support indigenous community land titling. He has also promoted the tenure rights of the urban poor communities. During his 15 years’ work, he has built a good reputation among local and international NGOs, government ministries and private companies.

About Organizers

Centre for Policy Studies

Founded in late 2014, the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) is an independent and autonomous think tank that focuses on policy oriented research and policy analysis to inform and influence policy making for inclusive and sustainable development in Cambodia. CPS envision that with adherence to the principles of market economy and liberal democracy, Cambodia will continue to maintain peace and stability, undertake gradual transformation, promote equitable and inclusive development and uphold the rule of law so that the country will have a well-educated citizenry and achieve an advanced status by 2050.

The Asia Foundation

The Asia Foundation is a nonprofit international development organization committed to improving lives across a dynamic and developing Asia. Informed by six decades of experience and deep local expertise, our work across the region addresses five overarching goals—strengthen governance, empower women, expand economic opportunity, increase environmental resilience, and promote regional cooperation.

Ponlok Chomnes: Data and Dialogue for Development in Cambodia

In partnership with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, The Asia Foundation is implementing Ponlok Chomnes: Data and Dialogue for Development in Cambodia—a three-year initiative (2019-2022)—to strengthen the capacity of knowledge sector institutions to undertake quality research that informs public policy analysis and dialogue in Cambodia.