Battambang’s farming community promotes ‘seeds of life’ tradition
For generations, everyone in Noem Chheang’s family has been a farmer in Battambang.For over 50 years, the farmers have been passing down their centuries of knowledge, experience, and skills on their ‘seeds of life’ on how to plant, harvest, select and store it so that it can be passed down from generation to generation to continue the traditional livelihood system.
The traditional seeds used in the paddy field and the lifetime of manual labour have produced high-quality and nutrient rice that has kept the Chheang family very healthy with them being able to do even the toughest jobs as they age.
Chheang, 67, can still carry water from a faraway river to fill eight big jars at his house in less than two hours which many youngsters of today are not able to do.
“Over the last few years, the introduction of growing new crops using chemical fertilisers and pesticides has harmed people’s health. Every day, they are exposed to these chemical substances and thus having numerous, not to mention, that they are also eating the toxic rice and vegetables,” said Chheang, adding that these chemical fertilisers and pesticides are also harming soil quality, nutrients, and subsequent crops.
Due to this, he said many farmers have sold their land and livestock or abandoned farming and gone to neighbouring countries to work.
Being an elder and counselor in Sdey Krom Rohalsoung Fishery Community, a cluster of over 300 farming families in Ek Phnom district, Chheang realised he had to do something before Battambang lost its status as the “rice bowl of Cambodia” and is thinking of returning to the old way of farming using traditional seeds but using modern technology.
With this in mind, he organised, with the help of volunteers from the community, the first-ever Seed Festival, a two-day celebration dedicated to sustainable farming, over the weekend that was attended by over 200 people and by Focus on the Global South-FGS, Social Action for Community and Development, Land and Life, and communities from 10 provinces.
There was an exhibition showcasing traditional or “ancient” seeds which were passed down from generation to generation to a number of families and treasured as ancestors’ agricultural heritage. While the focus was on bringing old ways of farming to improve life.
The second day of the event focused on farmers sharing sustainable farming techniques, especially in producing organic fertilisers through composition. Representatives from provinces also shared their knowledge on rice farming including the use of traditional seeds and organic fertilisers.
“We want to stop farmers from buying seeds to plant rice, vegetables, and fruits that have toxic chemicals and instead focus on organic seeds,” said Chheang, adding that they plan to organise such a festival annually to create awareness on producing organic crops.
Tin Sros, 25, a farmer in Chheang’s community said he will stop planting the toxic chemical seeds, and turn to organic farming as he does not want to ruin his soil and neither want to make people sick.
Recently, there has been a call for organic farming to improve public health but the success is yet to be determined due to the high price of organic agricultural products.