Assessing food insecurity and its determinants among local communities inside and outside protected areas in northeastern Cambodia

Food insecurity is a major global concern. This study used the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) to assess food insecurity and its drivers among communities living inside (Group 1) and outside (Group 2) protected areas in Cambodia. Ordinal logistic regression showed that households with higher education levels, non-Indigenous heads, residence outside protected areas, no wild food plant collection, and medium to high incomes were more food secure. Overall, only 11.40% of households were food secure, with Group 2 showing 11.55% higher food security than Group 1. Achieving zero hunger by 2030 in Cambodia will require urgent, targeted policy interventions, particularly for Indigenous people and communities within protected areas.