Louvain Coopération works every day to support local farmers in the provinces of Kampong Thom and Kampong Cham in Cambodia. Sustainable agriculture is emerging as a key way to lift them out of vulnerability and make them more resilient.
Agriculture is one of the pillars of the Cambodian economy, accounting for nearly 25% of the country's GDP in 2016. Approximately 80% of households live in rural areas and depend, among other things, on their agricultural activities. Conventional farming methods remain the norm, but sustainable farming techniques are helping to rapidly improve the socio-economic status of households. ‘We can see that sustainable agriculture is a real success and that there is a great economic benefit. There are families who have significantly increased their incomes. They can now earn between £700 and £1,000 per month with five full-time equivalents,’ explains Neang Malyne, director of the Ecoland Research Centre at the Royal University of Agriculture.
When we talk about conventional farming methods, we are referring to farmers who do not use sustainable farming techniques: they mainly work in monoculture and are dependent on numerous chemical inputs (fertilisers and pesticides). Traditionally, agrochemicals have been favoured and defined as the norm to follow. Farmers therefore mainly receive advice from the retailers of such products. It is important to note that some of these types of products sold in developing countries do not meet international standards and are banned in developed countries because of the health and environmental risks they pose. Unfortunately, the use of agrochemicals creates dependency and therefore requires the continuous increase in the use of these substances, which are harmful to both the soil and humans. Year after year, we are seeing an increase in the pollution of soil, groundwater and surrounding water sources. From a purely economic point of view, the situation is alarming. Dependence on these substances requires increasingly high investments for similar production levels.
These farmers' expenses therefore continue to rise, with very little economic benefit.