Battambang, KH – Home gardens are sustaining families during the current border conflict – Nov 2025

The conflict between neighbors Cambodia and Thailand has erupted again and thousands are fleeing areas on both sides of the border. Those fleeing to the cities are needing food, so the increased demand in the markets is pushing prices up.

Fortunately, the home vegetable gardens are able to supply the family food needs. Particularly, Pak, Yeurt, and Vai have very productive gardens, allowing them to sell surplus vegetables to help meet the increased demand. They use the income to pay for school fees and daily needs.

In addition to the armed conflict, there was heavy and prolonged rainfall in October that waterlogged many gardens. This impacted the growth of certain vegetable species, and limited seedling growth and gathering of grass and other materials for making compost. This impacted vegetable production so the income from vegetable sales was on the low side, making it difficult for families to invest in expanding their food production.

Families look to the Healthy Life team to mentor them to develop sustainable, productive, and climate-resilient gardens, which can consistently provide food and income throughout the year. The mentoring message is to enhance compost production, improve soil fertility, and expand cultivation areas in order to better support their children’s health and education, and build a more secure future for them.