Is the marine finfish cage farming value chain in Cambodia inclusive?

We undertook a gendered value chain analysis of marine finfish cage farming in Cambodia, interviewing 50 farmers and 11 other value chain participants, focussing on one of the key social concerns: inclusivity. The study used a modified participatory value chain mapping approach starting with the production/farming unit (household or a small producer company) and then ‘snowballing’ up and down the value chain. We specifically targeted participation of women, youths and minorities. The results showed that women and men were represented equally in several value chain nodes, namely: farmers, farm materials suppliers, and traders with special orders. Middle-aged men predominated as wholesalers and fingerlings traders, while women were predominant as ‘trash’ fish traders and local market traders of farmed fish. Only men, of all ages, were reported as fishers for the ‘trash’ fish supply. Youths of both sexes were present in feed (fishing or trading) nodes, and several of the local market traders were young women. In terms of the farming and the farm materials nodes, youths were present as offspring who were in the process of taking over the business over from the parents. This appears to be one of the few opportunities for youths to enter marine finfish cage farming, because the cost of farm establishment and selection of suitable farming sites were identified as barriers to entry to this industry. We found that most farms were perceived as being family owned, in contrast to literature reports that mariculture farmers as predominantly men. Our findings reinforce that information on inclusivity in aquaculture value chains is essential to planning any interventions aimed at improving returns and increasing efficiency. •Women participate in all nodes of the value chain, except for participating in catching ‘trash’ fish from the boats.•Most marine finfish seacage farms in Cambodia are family-owned, with most on-farm work being shared by men, women and youths.•Women are dominant in local trade-related nodes, both as traders of ‘trash’ fish and of the farmed fish.•Youths of both sexes are present in feed (fishing or trading) nodes, and as local market traders.•Further value chain interventions should take into account the important roles of women and youths.