Seeds of Change in Cambodia
Oxfam partner CEDAC is finding that the best way to reduce pesticide use is to moderate the need.
by Cynthia Phoel
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| Mrs. Eam Samin, from the Ta Koem Village of the Sarong Tong District, demonstrates the healthy growth of her SRI rice. By: Tath Sok/CEDAC |
They cost small rice farmers more than $5 million a year. They cause illness, poisoning—even death. They contaminate soil and water and create bio-hazards galore. And they're more popular than ever.
Since 1999, Oxfam has supported the work of Dr. Yang Saing Koma and the Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC) to assess the pesticide problem in Cambodia. CEDAC's efforts to survey pesticide use and educate farmers have raised awareness about this acute issue—locally and around the globe.
The work has only begun: pesticide prevalence continues to rise. But CEDAC is starting to understand that the best way to reduce pesticide use is to moderate the need.
The Root Of The Matter
Today, Cambodia is the scene of rapid development. With population growth and economic expansion come new challenges. Farmers are pressed to increase agricultural production to meet growing food demands.
Pesticides help farmers meet these demands—dangerous pesticides, used in potent combinations and harmful doses. CEDAC research reveals that out of 420 brands available in Cambodia, 134 are deemed hazardous by the World Health Organization. Many farmers use pesticides not only to control pests, but also to stimulate vegetative growth.
It doesn't help that imported bottles are labeled in Thai and Vietnamese, with no Khmer language warning or instruction. It doesn't help that local regulations are so weak that the most dangerous pesticides flood Cambodian markets. It doesn't help that under the hot sun, overalls, boots, and gloves are intolerable. Better go barefoot and face the consequences—if you know what they are.
The (Rice) Seeds Of Change
CEDAC is attacking the pesticide problem on many fronts. Through classes with farmers, dissemination of materials in Khmer, and media announcements, it is raising consumer awareness.
But CEDAC is doing even more. In 1999, CEDAC began developing a new style of family farm: the multipurpose rice field. The key innovation is the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), a farming method originally developed in Madagascar, which involves transplanting seeds one by one and maintaining minimal water levels. SRI requires fewer seed and pesticide inputs and uses less land, enabling farmers to diversify and raise other organic products.
The results have been dramatic, increasing yields by as much as 150 percent. These high yields curb the tendency to resort to pesticides to improve production. For pest management, CEDAC promotes botanical pest repellants and the use of ducks and frogs.
Working with key farmers in communities, CEDAC hopes to reach 10,000 farmers in 2003. It takes a leap of faith for a rice farmer to abandon age-old practices for new technologies. But CEDAC is revolutionizing rice farming —and furthering efforts to reduce pesticide use in Cambodia.