Siem Reap, KH – Family Avoids Downside of Chemical Farming

A growing trend in Cambodia is for outside investors, often rich Cambodians from Phnom Penh, to give a rural farmer a loan for chemical fertilizers, pest-resistant seed, and pesticides. Often the farmer signs on without completely understanding the terms of the loan, specifically the high interest rate. The farmer is put under tremendous pressure to have a successful crop but with the rising costs of chemical inputs and the low prices being offered for produce, the farmer is often forced to borrow from another source just to pay off the first loan. This unfortunately starts a terrible cycle which often ends up with people in debt losing their homes (which is usually collateral on the loan) or fleeing to the border with Thailand. Modern agriculture is focused on maximizing yields, which can be delivered but the additional costs of the technology often outweigh any crop revenue improvement. SS is one of the farmers who is affected by this trend. For the last couple of seasons she has taken out loans to purchase chemical and hybrid seeds.

Things changed for SS when she heard and saw some families that are served by the Peaksneng Thormacheat Garden Shop. The shop teaches Food Always In The Home (FAITH) organic vegetable gardening that emphasizes the use of natural materials and timely relay planting. Since joining the garden program, SS has found that the techniques help her garden to be productive, so much so that she has become recognized in her community. Many neighbors come to her to buy vegetables like; gourds, morning glory, eggplants, long beans, basil and lemon grass. She uses the income she earn to save money for her family’s future. “Before we used to garden using chemically grown vegetables, “she recalls “Now that I know organic techniques to grow healthier vegetables, I probably won’t go back.”

SS and her family are now planning the best way to expand their garden and farm using the organic techniques they have learned. She also dreams of having some livestock, “I want to save some money to build a pen for pigs.” SS thinks that organic farming methods such as FAITH offer a solution for the farmers to avoid getting involved with bad loans.