SOUN DIM, 38 Farmer in Kuleaen District, Preah Vihear Province, Cambodia
A farmer for most of his adult life, Soun Dim has been working with IBIS Rice for the past four years. He says he is able to give his household of nine, which includes seven children, better food and clothing, due to the higher prices that IBIS Rice pays. He also feels assured knowing that he is not beholden to middlemen who not only pay less, but have been known to cheat farmers by manipulating the weighing scales.
“I sell organic rice to IBIS Rice at a rate of 1,200 riels per kilogram. Before, I had to sell to middlemen at 500 riels per kilogram.”
LEANG CHUNTHEARY, 24 Junior Community Ocer, Sansom Mlup Prey Cambodia
“I feel proud of my job because I am able to contribute to nature and wildlife protection, and that the rice I help to inspect is being exported overseas.”
Leang Chuntheary works for Sansom Mlup Prey Cambodia, IBIS Rice’s partner which supports village institutions in the monitoring and organisation of the participating farmers. She makes sure that the farmers – who cultivate and sell organic rice for packaging under the IBIS Rice brand – adhere to its compliance rules, which include no hunting of wildlife, no cutting of trees, and no use of chemical fertilisers or chemical pesticides.