Applying a South-South Triangular Cooperation approach to capacity building: Bridging technological gaps and supporting sustainable mariculture in Cambodia

Although the bulk of aquaculture production originates from countries of the Global South, agricultural research-for-development activities are primarily funded by countries of the Global North. This is despite recognised technology gaps between Global North donors and Global South beneficiaries that often limit adoption of interventions. In this paper we evaluate the outcomes of a South-South Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) project between Cambodia, Indonesia and Australia. Using the SSTC approach, the pivotal partners (Indonesia) provided training to Cambodian (beneficiary partner) researchers in research and development methodologies related to finfish mariculture, specifically seedstock production, fish nutrition and feed development, and disease diagnostics and fish health, with funding and overall project management provided by the facilitating partner (Australia). Seventeen Cambodian beneficiary partner staff (6 female, 11 male) successfully completed this training, while another 12 staff (4 female, 8 male) were trained in value chain analysis methods. We evaluated training outcomes in terms of technical and non-technical co-benefits to trainees and broader contributions to national innovation systems and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Cambodia. Outcomes from the training contributed to improved sustainability for finfish mariculture in Cambodia through: increased availability of locally produced marine finfish seedstock, identification of locally available aquafeed ingredients, and improved fish health support services for farmers. The project was also perceived by the beneficiary partners as contributing to six SDGs for Cambodia. Overall, the project demonstrated that SSTC is a useful mechanism for building capacity in research and development, whereby a pivotal partner country can bridge technology gaps between beneficiary and facilitating partner countries. • A South-South Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) approach was used to build capacity amongst Cambodian (beneficiary partner) mariculture researchers. • Increased technical capacity of the beneficiary partner contributed to improved sustainability of the Cambodian finfish mariculture industry. • Non-technical co-benefits amongst beneficiaries also contributed to improved service delivery for Cambodian mariculture farmers. • SSTC is an effective mechanism to bridge technological gaps in agricultural research-for-development applications. • Contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals for Cambodia were identified.