Cambodia goes organic.The Cambodian government recently announced plans to become the "green farm of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, region of Asia (1990 est. pop. 442,500,000), c.1,740,000 sq mi (4,506,600 sq km), bounded roughly by the Indian subcontinent on the west, China on the north, and the Pacific Ocean on the east. " by supporting organic farming organic farming, the practice of raising plants—especially fruits and vegetables, but ornamentals as well—without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers. . The shift, which is receiving funding and technical support from the European Union European Union (EU), name given since the ratification (Nov., 1993) of the Treaty of European Union, or Maastricht Treaty, to the European Community (EU), was prompted by concerns about pesticide poisonings in rural areas as well as an interest in reducing the country's heavy dependence on the garment trade, which accounts for roughly 80 percent of Cambodia's exports. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In a BBC BBC in full British Broadcasting Corp. Publicly financed broadcasting system in Britain. A private company at its founding in 1922, it was replaced by a public corporation under royal charter in 1927. News article, Secretary of State for Commerce Sok Siphana said the soaring demand for organic foods worldwide "is very, very conducive for [Cambodia's] niche marketing," as it offers an alternative to competing with Vietnam, Thailand, China, and other mainstream agricultural powerhouses. Although much of the production would be for export, Birgitt Boor, the EU advisor to the project, said that going organic would help farmers on the ground. "In Cambodia, many [farmers] are in debt because they take credits at the start of the season to buy agro-chemicals," she said. An article in The Cambodia Daily noted that the minority of farmers already farming organically is making more money. In Meng, a resident of Prey Veng province Prey Veng is a province of Cambodia. Its capital is Prey Veng. Land area The total land area is about 4,883 km² that equal to 2.70% of the total land area of Cambodia (181,035 km²), which consisting of 445.18 km² or 9.12% are human settlements, 3,100 km² 63. outside of Phnom Penh Phnom Penh (nŏm pĕn, pənŏm`) or Phnum Penh (pən  m`), city (1994 est. pop. , stopped using pesticides and
artificial fertilizers four years ago and says her family generated
about US$147 the first year selling organic produce at the local market.
This income nearly doubled the following year and continues to rise,
while costs have declined dramatically. "[P]eople laughed at me for
giving up the rice fields," Meng told the Daily. "Now,
they've stopped laughing and are praising my efforts."
An estimated 2,000 farmers in Prey Veng have participated in a local program to learn how to use compost as fertilizer, brew their own organic pesticides, and avoid harmful chemicals. Farmers who concoct con·coct tr.v. con·coct·ed, con·coct·ing, con·cocts 1. To prepare by mixing ingredients, as in cooking. 2. their own insecticide--for instance, by stewing lemon grass lem·on·grass also lemon grass n. A tropical grass (Cymbopogon citratus) native to southern India and Sri Lanka, yielding an aromatic oil used as flavoring and in perfumery and medicine. Noun 1. , tobacco, and bark from the bitter sdao plant--report fewer headaches, nausea, and other health problems. Organic farming remains small in Cambodia, and farmers only recently harvested the nation's first certified organic rice crop. Still, hotel owners, restaurateurs, and grocers in Phnom Penh already favor the homegrown organic produce over imports. "We'd like to support the local industry and local farmers," said Robert Maurer-Loeffler, executive assistant manager of the city's luxury Hotel Cambodiana. |
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