Navigating the Compound Shock: How Cambodian Farmers Coped with COVID-19 and the 5Fs Crisis

Abstract

This study looks into how smallholder farmers in Cambodia reacted to the impact of the compound shock on their livelihoods from 2020 to 2023. The compound shock consists of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 5Fs crisis, comprising further disruptions in the prices for food, feed, fuel, fertilizer, and the accessibility of finance for agriculture. The research is exploratory and built upon livelihood theory, focusing on adaptation and coping strategies. The study gathered data through 25 interviews with smallholder farmer households. The findings show that the impacts of the compound shock are primarily related to price inflations and mobility restrictions. The identified consequences include reduced profitability of farming activities and a worse household financial position. Diversified income sources and the possibility of using their production for consumption did dampen the severity of the impacts for some households. The findings show that most households used savings and the sale of non-productive assets to cope with the impacts. The employed strategies do not per se affect livelihood sustainability, but they do erode the buffer capacity of the households. Based on the findings, the study makes several policy recommendations to strengthen the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, including stimulating diversified income on-farm and off-farm, re-engaging youth, and giving incentives for a switch to organic farming.