Meet rice farmer Sophea

In Cambodia’s Battambang province, rice farmer Sophea embodies the spirit of innovation and resilience in agriculture. Since embarking on his farming journey as a teenager, he has transformed his modest operation into a thriving enterprise that not only meets local demands but also contributes to international markets. This article explores Sophea’s inspiring journey, his commitment to sustainable practices, and the vital role he plays in empowering his community.

Name of farmer: Sophea Say
Project participated in: Sustainable Rice Project Cambodia
Country: Cambodia
Story submitted by: Mars Food & Nutrition

In the early 2000s, Cambodian agriculture experienced a transformative period, paving the way for individuals like Sophea Say, a visionary jasmine rice farmer from Battambang province in the northwest of Cambodia.

Sophea began his farming journey back in 1999, a 17-year-old who was preparing to start his university studies. Learning the art of rice farming from his father and equipped with a solid educational background in business management, Sophea’s determination led him to expand his modest 10-hectare plot into an impressive 120 hectares over the course of two decades.

Today, Sophea is not only a cultivator of paddy rice but also a source of inspiration for fellow farmers, producing rice seeds that can then be used in Mars Food & Nutrition’s products. With four rice varieties on his land, Sophea adeptly responds to market demands, transitioning seamlessly between seed production and rice cultivation. His vision extends beyond his fields, as he plans to integrate his thriving livestock business, which includes around 100 cows, with his rice cultivation efforts.

Reflecting on his journey, Sophea recalls the labor-intensive farming practices and the challenges he faced in the early years. However, through strategic investments and access to financial resources, Sophea has revolutionized his operations, significantly reducing labor costs and improving efficiency. “Every year, my rice production has grown with good profits,” says Sophea. “I have reinvested the earnings to expand my production and hire additional workers during peak seasons.”

Equipped with three tractors and a keen eye for innovation, Sophea embraces technology to drive cost efficiency. Utilizing a drum seeder, a modern tool that facilites precise seed placement, Sophea exemplifies a progressive approach to traditional farming practices, driving efficiency and minimizing waste.

Despite the progress made, challenges remain in Battambang province, particularly regarding the region’s reliance on rain-fed agriculture. The unpredictable nature of weather conditions can limit farmers to a single crop per year and compelling them to seek alternative income sources to sustain themselves.

Between 2018 and 2022, through a partnership with the International Finance Cooperation (IFC), Mars Food & Nutrition supported 21 agricultural cooperatives in Cambodia. This participation has been instrumental for Sophea, as it ensures a stable market for his rice seeds. By promoting sustainable rice production and enhancing business management performance among farmer cooperatives following the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) Standard for Sustainable Rice Cultivation, these initiatives have enabled farmers to adopt more sustainable practices and improve their overall efficiency and productivity. With ongoing support from Mars and the launch of new projects, both existing and new farmers will cultivate additional varieties of jasmine rice that meet the brand’s quality standards and SRP criteria. This forward-thinking approach empowers farmers to make informed decisions, leveraging market dynamics and diversifying their offerings to meet the needs of a global customer base.

As a true agripreneur, Sophea’s success story serves as an inspiration to the community, showcasing that success in agriculture is possible with dedication, innovation, and collaboration. While challenges remain, Sophea firmly believes that many opportunities exist for those willing to invest effort and dedication in their land. Through his unwavering spirit, Sophea cultivates not only crops but also hope, ensuring a bountiful harvest for generations to come.

If you are an SRP member and would like to submit a farmer experience for our “Perspectives from the Fields” series, please contact Roong Tepkaew at roong.tepkaew@sustainablerice.org. We share these stories on our website, in our newsletter and on our social media channels.

In our series “Perspectives from the Fields,” we share stories of SRP rice farmers our members work with. We want to showcase their stories to encourage more actors in the global rice sector to join our mission, motivate more farmers to switch to sustainable rice cultivation, and inspire more consumers to buy sustainable rice.

Empowering Vietnamese Farmers Through Sustainable Rice Practices

This story highlights Pham Van Tro, a farmer from Vietnam who has adopted the SRP Standard through Rikolto’s “Building Sustainable Rice Value Chains for Smallholder Farmers in Dong Thap” project. The project aims to develop a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient rice sector in Vietnam. By doing so, it seeks to ensure a living income for producers and agribusiness entrepreneurs, including women and youth, while also increasing the availability of sustainable food products in the market. The project is being implemented in partnership with the Dong Thap Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (Dong Thap DARD).

Name of farmer: Pham Van Tro

Project participated in: Rikolto’s “Building Sustainable Rice Value Chains for Smallholder Farmers In Dong Thap Program”, 2022-2026

Country: Vietnam
Story submitted by: Rikolto

Adopting Climate-Smart Practices: Sustainable Rice Cultivation in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta

Rice is crucial to Vietnam’s socio-economic development, with most of the country’s rice production concentrated in the Mekong Delta. However, rice farming is facing serious challenges due to climate change, and the misuse of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, which are exacerbating environmental degradation. In response, many farmers in Dong Thap Province have adopted the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) Standard for Sustainable Rice Cultivation. This standard incentivizes farmers to adopt proven climate-smart and sustainable farming practices.

Located alongside the Hau River, a branch of the Mekong River, Binh Thanh village is home to more than 1,800 farming households, most of whom cultivate rice on approximately 1,200 hectares.

Since 2018, Rikolto has been supporting the Binh Thanh Agricultural Service Cooperative (Binh Thanh Cooperative) and 14 other cooperatives in Dong Thap Province to develop a sustainable rice value chain, funded by the Belgian Directorate General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD).

Meet Pham Van Tro from Dong Thap Province

Pham Van Tro, a 77-year-old farmer from Binh Thanh Village, Lap Vo District, Dong Thap Province, has adopted the SRP Standard on his 4 hectares of rice field to increase the value of his crop.

Since its adoption, Pham Van Tro only uses about 60 kilograms of rice seed per hectare, down from previously 200 kilograms. He has also reduced pesticide spraying from six to four times per cycle.

“Thanks to these changes, I can save about VND2.9 million (approximately EUR 105) per hectare in the production cost,” said Tro. “It helps me increase my profits by saving input costs, reducing negative impacts to the land and soil, and also protecting my health”.

District Technicians and Farmers Collaborate on SRP Compliance

District technicians often work with Tro and other farmers in the village to ensure they meet the SRP Standard. Tro keeps regular field records to check production costs and profits and to control his farming process. After harvesting, he does not burn the straw but uses it as a by-product. He also disposes of pesticide bottles at Rikolto’s supported waste collection points, which are easily found in the common areas of the rice fields.

Securing Stable Markets: Promoting Sustainable Rice Practices Through Cooperative Partnerships

The Binh Thanh Cooperative has also signed contracts with traders and companies to ensure regular purchases of SRP-compliant rice from farmers at stable and reasonable prices.

“We are trying to keep the purchase of rice from farmers stable. In this way, we hope to raise awareness among farmers about the importance of a sustainable rice value chain. By understanding the benefits of applying the SRP Standard, farmers will actively contribute to the development of social behavior related to environmental protection and community health”, said Cao Tho Truong, Vice Director of Binh Thanh Cooperative.

Paving the Way for Verification: Advancing SRP Standards in Binh Thanh Cooperative

Since 2023, 180 farmer members of Binh Thanh Cooperative have adopted the SRP Standard on a total area of 188 hectares. All have achieved a score of 80+ in the SRP Standard, with increased sustainability indices in areas such as climate change and resource management. By 2024, Rikolto is supporting Binh Thanh Cooperative to achieve the SRP Standard third-party verification on 50 selected hectares, with the guidance from the Asian Organic Agricultural Research and Development Institute (AOI Institute). The Cooperative has received SRP training, set up an internal quality management system (IMS) team to strictly follow SRP requirements, improved the SRP processing mill, and promoted SRP product linkages.

Being one of the selected members striving for SRP verification, Tro affirmed: “I am happy to apply the SRP Standard in rice cultivation. I have changed my way of thinking about sustainable rice production and shared its benefits with my family members and neighbor’s. I hope to do more to raise public awareness about environmental protection while sustainably improving rice quality. That’s the most meaningful part of my work as a farmer”.

If you are an SRP member and would like to submit a farmer experience for our “Perspectives from the Fields” series, please contact Roong Tepkaew at roong.tepkaew@sustainablerice.org. We share these stories on our website, in our newsletter and on our social media channels.

SRP is excited to introduce our new initiative “Perspectives from the Fields”, where we share stories of SRP rice farmers our members work with. We want to showcase their stories to encourage more actors in the global rice sector to join our mission, motivate more farmers to switch to sustainable rice cultivation, and inspire more consumers to choose sustainable rice.

Starting our Series: Featuring SRP Partner Mars Food & Nutrition and Rice Farmer Jularak

We kick-start our new series with Jularak, a farmer from Thailand who was introduced to sustainable rice practices through the Sustainable Agriculture and Rice Initiative (SARI) program, facilitated by the German development cooperation (GIZ) and funded by Mars Food & Nutrition. Jularak’s journey embodies the transformative power of sustainable agriculture in improving livelihoods and preserving our environment.

Name of farmer: Jularak

Project participated in: Sustainable Agriculture and Rice Initiative (SARI)

Country: Thailand
Story submitted by: Mars Food & Nutrition

Meet rice farmer Jularak: reviving rural farming through sustainable rice production

At Mars Food & Nutrition, we believe healthy food shouldn’t come at the expense of the planet and should be sustainably produced for future generations. We are proud to share the inspiring story of Jularak, a rural Thai farmer and mother of two who has been dedicated to reviving rice farming by embracing sustainability principles. By turning the tide of economic outmigration and embracing the potential of sustainable farming, Jularak is breathing new life into her village and offering hope for future generations.

At the age of 17, Jularak left her village in pursuit of a better life in the city. However, the allure of urban promise soon faded, and Jularak found herself yearning for simplicity and connection to the land she left behind.

Recognizing the resilience and debt-free lifestyle of her mother, a rice farmer, Jularak made the life-changing decision to return to her village. With the support of her parents, she embarked on a journey to rediscover the art of rice farming, learning valuable lessons passed down through generations and learning new practices for the future.

In 2019, she was introduced to the Sustainable Agriculture and Rice Initiative (SARI) program, facilitated by the German development cooperation (GIZ) and funded by Mars Food & Nutrition. Through SARI, Jularak gained access to resources and training in sustainable rice production techniques aligned with the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) standard. The program emphasizes climate-smart practices that enhance efficiency in fertilizer and water usage, discourage straw burning, promote organic fertilizer utilization, and encourage farmers to maintain a comprehensive record book to track expenses and income.

The implementation of these practices brought about visible results. Prior to joining the program, Jularak’s land yielded approximately 1500 kilograms of rice per hectare. Today, just a few years later, she achieves an impressive 3600 kilograms per hectare. Her high-quality rice, nurtured through sustainable farming practices, proudly makes its way into Ben’s Original® products across the globe.

According to the SARI project results (2023), increased yields and income is not the only result. In general, the 1200 farmers who participate in the project in the province have been able to achieve 56% water reduction in rice farming. Moreover, more than 70% of the rice farmers in the program are women, highlighting the significant impact of empowering women in sustainable agriculture.

Inspired by the potential of sustainable agriculture to not only provide a livelihood with greater income but also preserve the environment and support her community, Jularak is determined to continuously explore the possibility of reviving rural farming in her village. By sharing her knowledge and experiences, she is actively empowering fellow female farmers to embrace sustainable practices and pursue careers in agriculture. “My dream is to inspire more women to follow in my footsteps and contribute to the agriculture sector. With the income from increasing yields, I can support my children with better health and education. I encourage them to also embrace rice farming and secure a prosperous future for themselves,” says Jularak. The dedication and determination of women like Jularak who are leading the way in sustainable agriculture remind us of the transformative power of women in building a better world for generations to come.

If you are an SRP member and would like to submit a farmer experience for our “Perspectives from the Fields” series, please contact Roong Tepkaew at roong.tepkaew@sustainablerice.org. We share these stories on our website, in our newsletter and on our social media channels.