Cooperatives Key to Help Farmers, Combat Hunger

The key to lifting people out of poverty could be found in the setting up of farming cooperatives, the country director of the World Food Program said on Friday, which was also World Food Day. Jean-Pierre de Margerie, country director of the World Food Program, said 1 in 5 Cambodians currently go hungry every day. ... "The majority of Cambodians depend on agriculture to support their families," Mr. de Margerie told a crowd of several hundred people- including 50 farmer's associations- during an event at the Royal University of Agriculture. "Agriculture is key, and the key to agriculture is establishing cooperatives and associations," he said. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), more than 40,000 families in Phnom Penh live in extreme poverty. ...