New report looks at how diets can be improved in Cambodia to tackle all forms of malnutrition

PHNOM PENH, 6 November 2023 – Marking Cambodia’s 10^th National Nutrition Day, the Council for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD), with support from the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and a consortium of key stakeholders, has today launched a Fill the Nutrient Gap (FNG) analysis, a seminal piece of evidence to better understand barriers to healthy diets in the country.

The analysis reveals that while exceptional progress has been made to improve access to and consumption of healthy and nutritious foods, current diets are still inadequate, contributing to all forms of malnutrition, increasing the risk of non-communicable diseases, resulting in an annual economic burden of US$1.5 billion per year, or 6.6 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“The aim of the analysis is to inform national policies and actions that can be taken across food, social protection, and health systems to improve nutrition, with a focus on the most vulnerable populations. We believe that the Fill the Nutrient Gap offers a common narrative for change - a piece of evidence to inform our decisions. Cambodia's progress and ambitious goals depend on our ability to address these pressing issues and identify win-win solutions for both nutrition and climate change,” said Claire Conan, Representative and Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) in Cambodia.

The report shows that nearly 80 per cent of calories consumed in Cambodia come from rice and sugar, with insufficient consumption of nutrient-dense foods. The findings add to existing data from the Cambodia Demographic Health Survey 2021–2022, which revealed that less than half (42 per cent) of 6-23-month-old children receive a minimally acceptable diet.

“Good nutrition is the bedrock of child survival, growth, and development. Well-nourished children with quality nutritious foods are better able to learn and participate in their communities. They are also more resilient in the face of illness,” said Dr. Will Parks, UNICEF Representative in Cambodia. “Children require good nutrition and care, at the very start of life and throughout their lives, to reach their full potential. We want all people in Cambodia to consume and benefit from healthy nutritious diets, making sure that the most vulnerable are not left behind.”

A total of 16 per cent of households in Cambodia cannot afford a nutritious diet, highlighting the importance of social assistance programmes to prevent more families from falling behind, and foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, dairy, eggs, and fats and oils are not available in adequate quantities to meet recommended consumption levels. At the same time, ultra-processed foods and snacks high in salt, fat, and sugar are widely available, affordable, and popularized through heavy marketing and commercial campaigns, exposing young people unhealthy habits and diets.

“While persistent child wasting, widespread micronutrient deficiencies, and nutrition disparities remain, the Royal Government of Cambodia will prioritize foods systems strengthening to address them, as indicated in the Pentagonal Strategy, which underscores the importance of social protection, Universal Health Care and climate change adaptation and mitigation,” said His Excellency Sok Silo, Secretary General of the Council for Agricultural and Rural Development. “There has been remarkable progress in maternal and child health and nutrition outcomes that we should all be proud of.”

Cambodia’s vulnerability to climate change puts healthy diets at risk. Accounting for the effect of climate change alone, the FNG report found that the cost of a nutritious food basket is likely to increase by 10 per cent by 2030 and 20 per cent by 2050, placing diets further out of reach for those who are already vulnerable.  

Exceptional progress has indeed been made in Cambodia but improving the nutrition situation is critical to sustain this progress. The findings highlight that Cambodia’s ambitious goal of achieving upper-middle income status by 2030 depends on an improvement in the nutrition situation. Climate change further threatens these ambitions.

The report suggests a series of modelled interventions that the country could consider to improve the diets of families and resilience in the context of climate change based on the needs of a breastfed child (12–23 months), a school-age child (6–7 years), an adolescent girl (14–15 years), a breastfeeding mother, and an adult man, including food fortification, social cash transfer benefits, school feeding , social behavior change for healthy diet across all population groups, and regulation of unhealthy and ultra-processed foods and beverages, among others.

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For more information, please contact:  

Say Ung
Deputy​ Secretary General, CARD
Tel: +855926789 Email: [email protected]

Chou Chea
Communications Officer, WFP Cambodia
Tel: +85578 565 283 Email: [email protected]  

Hadrien Bonnaud  
Chief of Communication, UNICEF Cambodia  
Tel: +85523260204 Email: [email protected]