AKP Phnom Penh, April 02, 2025 --

H.E. HEM Vanndy, Minister of Industry, Science, Technology & Innovation, received a delegation from Smart Eden, led by Neak Oknha Hun Lak and CEO Laurent Strauch, to discuss expanding the production and export of Cambodian products to the French market.

According to the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology & Innovation (MISTI), during the meeting, Mr. Laurent Strauch highlighted Smart Eden's success in exporting Cambodian cashew nuts and dried mangoes since 2024, which have been well-received by French consumers. He shared the company’s decade-long journey as a distributor in the French market, which now boasts a robust network of over 6,000 stores across France.

"We aim to expand our offerings from 10 to 15 Cambodian products this year, including rice, pepper, palm sugar, and biochar,” Strauch stated. “We also planned to produce cashew spreads to export to France."

In addition, the CEO, expressed interest in sourcing premium French products for distribution in Cambodia, noting the country’s strategic location as a regional hub.

Minister Vanndy congratulated Smart Eden on its achievements in exporting Cambodian cashew nuts and dried mango.

"The Cambodian government has prioritised the development of cashew as a strategic product. We are building Cambodia as global supplier of cashews," he said, stressing the importance of market-led aggregation in the cashew supply chain to meet the scale and demands of the market.

H.E. Minister also highlighted enhanced capability of Cambodia’s national quality infrastructure, including laboratory services, national standards and research and development (R&D) on food sector to boost Cambodia’s product standards and exports.

“MISTI stands ready to support Smart Eden to produce cashew spreads in Cambodia and we encourage the company to explore other potential products in collaboration with the ministry and our partners such as Khmer Enterprise,” H.E. HEM Vanndy added.

AKP