Breakfast Talk on ESG: Facilitator for Agribusiness

On Friday 7th June, EuroCham’s AgriBusiness Committee brought together industry leaders at Oakwood Premier Phnom Penh for a breakfast talk on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices in agribusiness. The event highlighted the growing importance of ESG for a sustainable future in agriculture.

The morning kicked off with welcoming remarks by Mr. Rajiv Pradhan, Vice-Chairman of EuroCham’s AgriBusiness Committee and Country Director of Swisscontact. Mr. Dilum Wijenayake, General Manager at Control Union Cambodia, then provided a comprehensive overview of ESG principles and the evolving regulatory framework for ESG in agriculture on both a global and local scale. In Cambodia, ESG is gaining momentum with the country’s pioneering Strategy for Carbon Neutrality 2050. The strategy aims to achieve a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050.

Okhna Saran Song, CEO of Amru Rice (Cambodia) Co., Ltd, then delved deeper into the practical application of ESG through voluntary standards. Ms. Sabine Joukes, Chief of Party at USAID Morodok Baitang, offered valuable insights on the challenges and opportunities associated with implementing ESG practices, building sustainable value chains, and effectively assessing risks within those chains.

The presentations were followed by an informative panel discussion, moderated Mr. Rajiv Pradhan, and joined by Mr. Dilum Wijenayaka, Okhna Song Saran, Ms. Sabine Joukes, and Mr. Khun Kakada, Deputy Director General, General Directorate of Rubber at Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Together, they explored the implications of international ESG regulations for Cambodia’s agricultural sector.

The event concluded with a brief presentation on the Southeast Asia Intellectual Property (IP) SME Helpdesk by Mr. Andries (Zandre) VAN STRATEN, Services Coordinator at EuroCham Cambodia.