Cambodia goes organic.

• Author: Halweil, Brian
• Position: ENVIRONMENTAL INTELLIGENCE

The Cambodian government recently announced plans to become the "green farm of Southeast Asia" by supporting organic farming. The shift, which is receiving funding and technical support from the European Union (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.

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In a BBC 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 outside of Phnom Penh, stopped using pesticides and artificial fertilizers four years ago and says her family generated about US$147 the first year...