Participants Profile

About Me I am Song Saran, Co-Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of AMRU Rice (Cambodia) Co., Ltd., one of Cambodia’s leading agribusiness companies specializing in premium rice, sustainable agriculture, and value-added food products. Over the past two decades, I have dedicated my career to transforming Cambodia’s rice sector from a commodity-based industry into one that creates value for farmers, consumers, investors, and society through innovation, sustainability, and international market development. My journey began with a simple belief: Cambodian farmers deserve access to global markets and better livelihoods. Agriculture is the backbone of Cambodia’s economy, employing millions of people, yet for many years smallholder farmers struggled with low productivity, unstable prices, limited access to technology, and weak connections to international buyers. Recognizing these challenges, I co-founded AMRU Rice with the vision of building an integrated agricultural value chain that empowers farmers while delivering high-quality Cambodian rice to consumers around the world. Today, AMRU Rice works closely with more than 20,000 smallholder farmers across Cambodia through contract farming, sustainable production systems, and technical support. Our company has become a trusted supplier of premium Cambodian fragrant rice, organic rice, parboiled rice, brown rice, rice flour, ready-to-eat rice, and other innovative rice-based products to customers across Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East, and Australia. We believe that every bag of rice represents not only a product but also the hard work, resilience, and aspirations of Cambodian farming families. Throughout my career, sustainability has been at the heart of every business decision. I strongly believe that long-term business success can only be achieved when economic growth goes hand in hand with environmental stewardship and social responsibility. Under my leadership, AMRU Rice has integrated Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into every aspect of our operations. We have invested in sustainable sourcing, organic farming, regenerative agriculture, water-efficient rice production, renewable energy, carbon reduction initiatives, and traceability systems that ensure transparency from farm to consumer. One of our most ambitious initiatives is developing Cambodia’s first LEED-certified green rice processing facility, which demonstrates our commitment to reducing carbon emissions while improving operational efficiency and food safety. We are also actively developing low-carbon rice production systems, carbon credit projects, and climate-smart agriculture programs that reward farmers for adopting sustainable farming practices while contributing to global climate goals. Beyond AMRU Rice, I have been privileged to contribute to Cambodia’s agricultural development through leadership roles in various organizations. I served as President of the Cambodia Rice Federation from 2019 to 2022, followed by Chairman of the Cambodia Rice Federation from 2022 to 2025, and currently serve as its Honorary President. During my tenure, I worked closely with government agencies, development partners, financial institutions, exporters, and farmer organizations to strengthen Cambodia’s rice industry, improve export competitiveness, and promote Cambodian rice in international markets. I also serve as a Board Member of the Cambodian Federation of Employers and Business Associations (CAMFEBA), an Independent Director of Amret Plc, and have contributed to numerous public-private initiatives aimed at strengthening Cambodia’s private sector, improving food security, and supporting sustainable economic development. Innovation has always been another cornerstone of my leadership philosophy. While Cambodia has earned international recognition for its premium fragrant rice, I believe the country’s future lies in moving beyond commodity exports toward higher-value food products and agricultural ingredients. This vision has led AMRU Rice to invest in value-added processing, including ready-to-eat rice, microwaveable rice, rice flour, rice-based ingredients, and other innovative food solutions that meet changing consumer preferences worldwide. I am equally passionate about building partnerships. Throughout my career, I have worked with international organizations including IFAD, GIZ, IFC, UN agencies, development banks, impact investors, universities, and multinational food companies. These collaborations have enabled us to combine global expertise with local knowledge, creating scalable solutions that benefit farmers while meeting international standards for quality, sustainability, and food safety. Education and continuous learning have played an important role in shaping my leadership journey. I hold a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the National University of Management, Cambodia. I have also participated in international executive leadership programs, including the ASEAN Global Leadership Program at Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, which broadened my perspective on innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable business leadership. Throughout my career, I have been honored to receive several awards recognizing entrepreneurship, leadership, and contributions to agriculture, including the Golden Medal Best Entrepreneur Award, the Takeda Young Entrepreneurship Award, the ASEAN Agrow Award, and the ASEAN Young Entrepreneur Award. While these recognitions are meaningful, I consider the greatest achievement to be seeing Cambodian farmers improve their incomes, children gain access to better education, and rural communities become more resilient through sustainable agriculture. Looking ahead, my vision extends beyond building a successful company. I aspire to position Cambodia as a global leader in premium, sustainable, and climate-smart agricultural products. I believe the future of agriculture lies at the intersection of technology, sustainability, innovation, and collaboration. By embracing digital agriculture, artificial intelligence, carbon markets, regenerative farming, and circular economy principles, we can create a food system that is profitable, resilient, and environmentally responsible. As a business leader, I remain committed to creating shared value for all stakeholders—farmers, employees, customers, investors, development partners, and communities. I firmly believe that businesses have a responsibility not only to generate profits but also to improve lives, protect the environment, and contribute to sustainable development. My mission is simple yet ambitious: to transform Cambodian agriculture into a globally competitive, sustainable, and innovative sector that creates lasting prosperity for farmers while delivering exceptional products to consumers around the world. Every challenge presents an opportunity to innovate, every partnership offers the potential to create impact, and every success belongs not only to our company but also to the thousands of farmers whose dedication makes our journey possible.