Depending on water from the rainy season most families are limited in their agriculture cultivation to one season, growing only one crop of rice per year, which does not produce enough to support their family. Siem Reap is one of two provinces identified by the Cambodian Government and the World Food Program as significantly poor and food-insecure. Currently, 45% of Cambodian children under five years-old are underweight (UNDP Human Development Report 2007/2008).
The percentage of children under five years old in Siem Reap who exhibit stunted growth rates is greater than the Cambodian national average (UNICEF Cambodian Nutrition Investment Plan 2008). Trailblazer launched its own Agricultural Program on the Trailblazer Cambodia Organization (TCO) compound in Siem Reap in 2009. Our on-site nursery is used as a training resource and local seedling supply source. Our agriculture team tests organic fertilizers, pesticides, EM [effective micro-organism], and composting methods, as well as the germination rates of various local vegetable seeds to ensure positive results before introduction to the rural farmer.
Additionally, our Agriculture Program is implemented as one aspect of our mission to empower rural villagers to create self-sustaining programs. The primary goal is to foster healthy families, sufficient year-round food supplies and sustainable incomes at both the family and village levels. We also want to increase the sustainable economic opportunities for isolated communities through the marketing and sale of excess produce to enhance their capacity to achieve self-sufficiency and improve their overall quality of life. The 2006 Cambodian Agriculture Development Report indicates that, due to lack of availability, the Cambodian hotel industry selects imported fruits and vegetables over locally grown produce 87% of the time.
Produce from a successful garden can supplement their diet and offer an avenue for economic growth. Our goal is to work with village councils to establish farmer co-op networks as well as provide training, resources, and business development support for the marketing and sale of their excess produce. Owning livestock raises a rural farmer two levels of poverty, from ‘poorest of the poor’ to ‘poor’, according to World Bank statistics. The financial ability to purchase cows or pigs for many farmers is often limited, especially in areas where the average wage is less than $2 USD per week.