Seeds of Change: An Autoethnographic Journey in Fostering Food Security through Entrepreneurial Activity in Cambodia

The purpose of this paper is to promote the revival of autoethnographic examinations of
entrepreneurial support and how it can be used to enhance food security. While experts have
continued to neglect food security in developing economies in favour of themes that are more
relevant to mature economies, this paper provides an exceptional opportunity to explore the
influence of entrepreneurship on food security in Cambodia, particularly focusing on the period
from 2011 to 2015.
The paper relies on a qualitative study and selectively draws on a case study from the
Agriculture Development Denmark Asia (ADDA) project in Siem Reap undertaken by the lead
researcher, which illustrates some useful cues for improving sustainable entrepreneurial
ventures in a developing economy. The paper discusses and evaluates three important points:
the interplay of risk, necessity-driven entrepreneurship, and the potential of targeted
interventions at both micro and macro levels. The paper then reflects on the authors’ direct
involvement in the project, during the development of offerings for Micro Business
Development Facilitators, which provides unique insight into the realities of entrepreneurial
education in this context.
While the findings are still in the developmental stage, they are welcomed for their boldness
and the potential to engage further studies on the impact of context and culture on
entrepreneurship for food security. This is particularly relevant due to its connection to
entrepreneurship and the importance of avoiding 'toxic charity' traps in development
initiatives.