Smallholder-based Mango Value Chain and the Integration of Food Safety and Food Loss Reduction in Cambodia’s Crossborder Trade

Abstract

Purpose: The study mapped the smallholder-based crossborder mango value chain in Cambodia; assess the practices and problems particularly in relation to food safety and food loss, and recommend future actions.

Methodology: Secondary and primary research was conducted through desktop review of literatures, focus group discussions and key informant interviews to document the crossborder value chain and the practices and problems of smallholder mango producers who are compliant and non-compliant to Cambodia Good Agricultural Practice (CamGAP). Descriptive analysis of results is presented.

Findings: Mango is grown in all Cambodia’s provinces, with about 60% in Kampong Speu and over 80% is Keo Romeat variety. From 2016-2020, production and export increased tremendously. However, unrecorded informal crossborder trade is about ten times of official record, estimated at over 945,000 tons in 2020. The value chain starts from input supply through production, postharvest and transport to crossborder market destinations in Vietnam, Thailand and China. About 80% of mango producers are smallholders and majority are non-CamGAP compliant. The practices of CamGAP-compliant and non-compliant farmers differed. CamGAP mainstreams both food safety and food loss management. Conventional farmers essentially employ chemical agriculture. Fruit losses during production and postharvest are much higher for conventional producers than CamGAP producers. Major factors contributing to fruit losses and food safety problems include lack of capital for production and postharvest inputs, deficiencies in production and postharvest practices and facilities, limited adoption of food safety management systems (FSMS) (e.g. GAP, GMP and HACCP), cumbersome certification systems including export processing, and limited access of farmers to export markets as intermediaries have big role in crossborder trade.

Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Improving value chains requires primary and support activities to add value and/or reduce cost, which could be achieved through managing food safety and food loss. The results of this study show that FSMS adoption, as in the case of CamGAP mango producers, could reduce food loss and harness the food safety system to increase market access. However, capital, knowhow and market support are also crucial. National policies and actions should promote the wide adoption of CamGAP and other FSMS tools such as GMP and HACCP; increase access to financial products; facilitate market access including incentive system to reduce the informality of crossborder mango trade; and capacitate smallholders to enable them to competitively engage with crossborder value chain and international market.