By Susan Beccio
This is a story of hardship and resilience. It is a story of rice farmers that do not always have enough food to eat. It is a story about people that struggle against chronic poverty and hunger and yet continue to dedicate energy and seize opportunities to improve their lives. It is a story of triumph.
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This is a story of hardship and resilience. It is a story of rice farmers that do not always have enough food to eat. It is a story about people that struggle against chronic poverty and hunger and yet continue to dedicate energy and seize opportunities to improve their lives. It is a story of triumph.
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Hun Koen, age 40, cuts rice on her one hectare plot in Krabaov village, Cambodia. Hun belongs to a 200 member rice cooperative. Though her profits have increased, unexpected health costs sent her back into debt in 2014. ©IFAD/Susan Beccio |
Cambodia is home to 4.8 million poor people - and 90 per cent of them live in rural areas. Most of them depend on agriculture for their livelihood. About 88% of the rural population owns a small plot of land, often less than 2 hectares. These small-scale farmers produce food at the subsistence level. Mostly they do not have access to modern farming techniques or equipment.
I was in the Preah Vihar countryside this week visiting participants from the Rural Livelihoods Improvement Project in Kratie, Preah Vihear and Ratanakiri (RULIP). Though the grant-funded project was completed in September 2014, many of the activities are still being carried out.
The women and men that I met were eager to show me what they had learned and how far they had come. I think that the pictures speak for themselves.
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Chum Lyvon, 47, (left) is a member of a women’s group in Kampot village, Cambodia. Group members make fresh egg noodles and sell to farmers in the village. ©IFAD/Susan Beccio  Workers harvest cassava on a test-plot that was part of a farmers’ field school in Morset village, Cambodia. Though cassava is not a common crop, it grows well and serves as an alternative to rice. ©IFAD/Susan Beccio  Chea Sokray, 33, raises pigs on her small farm in Tnolkorng village, Cambodia. She is also a rice and cassava farmer but raises pigs to supplement her income and family’s diet. She says that her family is still hungry a few months out of a year. ©IFAD/Susan Beccio |
Farmer grows organic long beans in a small vegetable plot in Kampot village, Cambodia. She also grows
papaya, moringa, banana, jack fruit, guava, mung bean and lemons. She belongs to a vegetable growers’ cooperative and leads in testing new crops and sharing her experience with other cooperative members. ©IFAD/Susan Beccio
papaya, moringa, banana, jack fruit, guava, mung bean and lemons. She belongs to a vegetable growers’ cooperative and leads in testing new crops and sharing her experience with other cooperative members. ©IFAD/Susan Beccio
Pom Sopbean, 25, raises ducks on her farm in Senmonorom village, Cambodia. She is recognized as a
“model farmer” in her community and trains other farmers in the area. Pom recently won third prize
in a national rice seed competition and is very proud of her accomplishment. ©IFAD/Susan Beccio
“model farmer” in her community and trains other farmers in the area. Pom recently won third prize
in a national rice seed competition and is very proud of her accomplishment. ©IFAD/Susan Beccio
Kuy Samoerin lights a biogas stove to make tea in her home in Krohorm village, Cambodia. Kuy is a 61-year-
old rice farmer who practices modern integrated farming techniques. She raises pigs and uses the manure to
fuel a small biogas digester to generate energy for cooking. ©IFAD/Susan Beccio
old rice farmer who practices modern integrated farming techniques. She raises pigs and uses the manure to
fuel a small biogas digester to generate energy for cooking. ©IFAD/Susan Beccio
Uoun Sokry, 23, feeds her two-year-old daughter York Narong in Tek Krohorm village. She belongs to a
women’s group that organises hands-on nutrition awareness training. Mothers learn about the three food
groups; “energy”, “protein” and “vitamins” and prepare nutritious food for their families. ©IFAD/Susan Beccio
women’s group that organises hands-on nutrition awareness training. Mothers learn about the three food
groups; “energy”, “protein” and “vitamins” and prepare nutritious food for their families. ©IFAD/Susan Beccio