ABSTRACT
The territorial expansion and intensification of commercial agriculture has profoundly transformed food procurement in the highlands of Cambodia. Populations have been deprived of access to food from the wild and have reduced subsistence farming. They now rely largely on purchased food. Despite an increase in food availability in markets and shops, purchasing enough and healthy food remains out of reach for many, as indicated by household food shortages and the growing consumption of poor quality purchased food. Borrowing has become crucial, not only for productive activities, but also to eat. The outcomes differ by gender as women reduce more than men their food consumption in case of shortages. Our findings support the argument that women play a decisive role in food security not only through their contribution to farm work but also because they bear responsibility for buying and preparing food for the family and for borrowing money for food purchases. However, this does not compensate for the deprivation of food from the wild and the reduction of self-produced food, whereas cash crops do not provide enough income to meet family needs for a healthy diet.
