In Cambodia, agricultural chemicals were not common because farmers had no money to buy it. But recently it has shifted to modern farming along with the country's economic growth.
It's reasonable because organic farming takes more time and labor and it is not always possible to make profits. So I thought organic farms are run by foreign capital even if there're some in Cambodia.
... As that's what I imagined, this article astonished me!
It says that a young guy in Cambodia runs an organic farm, and it is successful as business! It's amazing that they sell vegetables at 7 to 14 times the price of ordinary ones for high class hotels.
I felt this is true hope of this country and wanted to see him, I gave it to a try to contact ganas. Fortunately they intoroduced me the young man, Chhean Sopheap! How wonderful and kind ganas is!
This way I could see him in Siem Reap city and visit his farm when I visited Cambodia.
Mr. Nakamura, a trusted consultant in Siem Reap coordinated it. He wrote the article below, which shows his sense of value on business which I totally agree to. Do read it please if you can read Japanese.
I met the two guys for the first time at Asana Bar, Cambodian traditional high floor house style cafe. Sopheap can speak good English, which made me think of my poorer English skill after probably being given much more opportunity to learn (￣▽￣
Because of his uncle's backing, he could rent the land at very low cost. But the cost advantage and organic techniques do not guarantee him to keep the farm unless it is linked to business.
From the perspective, the location of Siem Reap where a lot of tourists gather is great. Foreigners can consume organic vegetables even if it is relatively expensive. His family in Battambang are farmers, so he could do it there too, but choosing this location shows his marketing sense.
It would be quite significant that he can speak English well. As you can see in the first cited article above, he couldn't sell veges to hotels first, but after he appealed to the foreign guests there and they requested to the hotels for organic veges, he got contracts. This tact is also wonderful.
He has motivation to learn, language ability and sense on marketing and sales, all of these enabled him to establish the organic farm which is not mainstream in Cambodia. Youth in Cambodia is amazing, aren't they?
Sopheap's farm has wide variety of plants, he guided me around but I could not remember all of them. There are fruit trees, soybeans, vegetables, and herbs.
Herbs growing in sunlight through the leaves of trees were so beautiful. Cultivated in many varieties, it should help improving soil quality and pest control.
The area around the farm has Tonle Sap and another smaller lake, where water is drawn from. Far enough away from the town, water is very clear as you can see small fish swimming in. You want to eat veges grown with this water ^^
He also has a vast rice paddy a little away from the veg field! Though it may be difficult, I would like him to challenge growing Japanese rice. It grows in Vietnam so it's possible here too!
As well as compost, there are nimes for insecticide,
and lemongrass and marigold around the field also against pests.
Not only growing plants but circulation with fish and livestock are designed,
a small pond is to keep fish as well as to secure water. Poultry are edible and supply compost resource too. It is rationality and multiplicity that permaculture suggests.
I know a professor who teaches this kind of circulation farming method in Vietnam, but here in Cambodia, a youth learned it by himself, realized technically and as business as well.
Sopheap wants to build a guesthouse someday next to his organic farm.
I suggested that it would not be a modern concrete & colonial-style mini hotel but rather a traditional Cambodian house-style. Of course Sopheap is going to build a traditional one.
If there is a place to stay, people who want to learn his organic farming method can visit. If it works in Cambodia, you can use it anywhere in tropical area. From the point of view, the value of learning is infinite.
At the corner of Sopheap's uncle's house there is a Cambodia-like vast paddy view with a pleasant wind blowing from Tonle Sap, of course the planned site is there.
Look at this wonderful view from (future) guesthouse! (^o^)
Imagine a high floor traditional guesthouse made of Cambodian trees and palms, with a hammock underneath, and guests in it swaying in the wind!
At Sopheap's uncle's family are still working on variety of traditional handicrafts such as roofing with palm leaves. Guests may be able to have workshops on handicrafts as well as to learn organic farming.
And he can explain it all in English.
Living in traditional house, having handicraft jobs, nurturing crops without relying on chemicals, thereby keeping the cleanliness of the water.. If this project could be successful, everything in their own lifestyle is proved to be valuable as business as well.
Business does not eat down our future by selling out the tradition and nature along with modernization. The business protects them all and invokes the value of our own culture itself as income for people.
Such a new style business is rising with local people who can speak English. I deeply felt that this is the real hope of this country, or all of us.
Related Links (in Japanese):
シェムリアップにカンボジアのワカモノが作ったオーガニック農園があった！！(Original post in Japanese)
風土と街と近代と、愚図なやつらばっかじゃないぜ(Asian spiritual features, cities and modernity)
カンボジアの農と食と、未来について考えた(I thought of agriculture, food and the future of Cambodia)
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It's reasonable because organic farming takes more time and labor and it is not always possible to make profits. So I thought organic farms are run by foreign capital even if there're some in Cambodia.
... As that's what I imagined, this article astonished me!
>> カンボジアの青年が挑む無農薬野菜ビジネス、まずは外国人観光客がターゲット！ - ganas 開発メディア (Non-Pesticide vegetable business challenged by youth in Cambodia, first targets foreign tourists! - ganas development media）
It says that a young guy in Cambodia runs an organic farm, and it is successful as business! It's amazing that they sell vegetables at 7 to 14 times the price of ordinary ones for high class hotels.
 |
| The organic farm |
I felt this is true hope of this country and wanted to see him, I gave it to a try to contact ganas. Fortunately they intoroduced me the young man, Chhean Sopheap! How wonderful and kind ganas is!
- The farm is in Siem Reap!
This way I could see him in Siem Reap city and visit his farm when I visited Cambodia.
Mr. Nakamura, a trusted consultant in Siem Reap coordinated it. He wrote the article below, which shows his sense of value on business which I totally agree to. Do read it please if you can read Japanese.
>> NGOがソーシャルビジネスとして運営するカンボジア地鶏の養鶏場が、将来のカンボジアの農村の人々に与えるインパクト(Impact of traditional free-range Cambodian poultry farm, which an NGO operates as social business, on the future of Cambodian rural people)
I met the two guys for the first time at Asana Bar, Cambodian traditional high floor house style cafe. Sopheap can speak good English, which made me think of my poorer English skill after probably being given much more opportunity to learn (￣▽￣
 |
| Asana Bar |
- Techniques, marketing, sales
I heard that he is from Battambang, and rented the field in a Siem Reap community where his uncle lives. He learned organic farming in school in Cambodia and went all over to Thailand for classes given by an NGO there. |
| Compost making learned in Thailand |
Because of his uncle's backing, he could rent the land at very low cost. But the cost advantage and organic techniques do not guarantee him to keep the farm unless it is linked to business.
From the perspective, the location of Siem Reap where a lot of tourists gather is great. Foreigners can consume organic vegetables even if it is relatively expensive. His family in Battambang are farmers, so he could do it there too, but choosing this location shows his marketing sense.
It would be quite significant that he can speak English well. As you can see in the first cited article above, he couldn't sell veges to hotels first, but after he appealed to the foreign guests there and they requested to the hotels for organic veges, he got contracts. This tact is also wonderful.
He has motivation to learn, language ability and sense on marketing and sales, all of these enabled him to establish the organic farm which is not mainstream in Cambodia. Youth in Cambodia is amazing, aren't they?
- Field with all kinds of plants!
Sopheap's farm has wide variety of plants, he guided me around but I could not remember all of them. There are fruit trees, soybeans, vegetables, and herbs.
 |  |
 |  |
Herbs growing in sunlight through the leaves of trees were so beautiful. Cultivated in many varieties, it should help improving soil quality and pest control.
The area around the farm has Tonle Sap and another smaller lake, where water is drawn from. Far enough away from the town, water is very clear as you can see small fish swimming in. You want to eat veges grown with this water ^^
He also has a vast rice paddy a little away from the veg field! Though it may be difficult, I would like him to challenge growing Japanese rice. It grows in Vietnam so it's possible here too!
 |  |
- You can learn all about organic
Sopheap put all kinds of organic techniques into his farm, and the field reflects his personality who carries out seriously what he has learned.As well as compost, there are nimes for insecticide,
 |  |
Not only growing plants but circulation with fish and livestock are designed,
 |  |
a small pond is to keep fish as well as to secure water. Poultry are edible and supply compost resource too. It is rationality and multiplicity that permaculture suggests.
I know a professor who teaches this kind of circulation farming method in Vietnam, but here in Cambodia, a youth learned it by himself, realized technically and as business as well.
- 'Organic' guest house planned
Sopheap wants to build a guesthouse someday next to his organic farm.
I suggested that it would not be a modern concrete & colonial-style mini hotel but rather a traditional Cambodian house-style. Of course Sopheap is going to build a traditional one.
If there is a place to stay, people who want to learn his organic farming method can visit. If it works in Cambodia, you can use it anywhere in tropical area. From the point of view, the value of learning is infinite.
At the corner of Sopheap's uncle's house there is a Cambodia-like vast paddy view with a pleasant wind blowing from Tonle Sap, of course the planned site is there.
 |  |
Look at this wonderful view from (future) guesthouse! (^o^)
Imagine a high floor traditional guesthouse made of Cambodian trees and palms, with a hammock underneath, and guests in it swaying in the wind!
At Sopheap's uncle's family are still working on variety of traditional handicrafts such as roofing with palm leaves. Guests may be able to have workshops on handicrafts as well as to learn organic farming.
 |  |
And he can explain it all in English.
Living in traditional house, having handicraft jobs, nurturing crops without relying on chemicals, thereby keeping the cleanliness of the water.. If this project could be successful, everything in their own lifestyle is proved to be valuable as business as well.
Business does not eat down our future by selling out the tradition and nature along with modernization. The business protects them all and invokes the value of our own culture itself as income for people.
Such a new style business is rising with local people who can speak English. I deeply felt that this is the real hope of this country, or all of us.
Related Links (in Japanese):
シェムリアップにカンボジアのワカモノが作ったオーガニック農園があった！！(Original post in Japanese)
風土と街と近代と、愚図なやつらばっかじゃないぜ(Asian spiritual features, cities and modernity)
カンボジアの農と食と、未来について考えた(I thought of agriculture, food and the future of Cambodia)
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