When severe drought devastated her rice fields, Cambodian farmer Kha Sokhom had to buy rice from the market to feed her family. Now, with access to mobile weather forecasts and climate-smart farming techniques, she is better equipped to protect her crops from unpredictable weather and help fellow farmers prepare for droughts and floods.
Sokhom has farmed in Preah Vihear province since 1987 and now manages 15 hectares of land growing rice, cashew and cassava. Despite decades of experience, she remains vulnerable to irregular rainfall, drought and flooding that can destroy crops, reduce yields and threaten household income.
“I use the app to check which days it will rain and plan my work in the fields,” she said.
“Before, I did not know whether rain was coming. Now, I can prepare in advance,” she added.
Her experience highlights the growing importance of climate information and practical farming solutions as Cambodian farmers face increasingly unpredictable weather conditions.
Through training provided by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)-supported Public-Social-Private Partnerships for Ecologically-Sound Agriculture and Resilient Livelihoods in the Northern Tonle Sap Basin (PEARL) Project, Sokhom learned to use a mobile application offering agricultural advice and 10-day weather forecasts.
The information has helped her make better decisions about when to work in her fields and how to manage water supplies. She prepares field dykes to retain water and adjusts farming activities according to weather forecasts, reducing the risks posed by changing conditions.
She has also adopted composting techniques using locally available materials, including rice husks, cow manure and wild sunflower leaves, to improve soil fertility and help retain moisture during dry periods.
For Sokhom, these changes are about more than protecting her crops. Farming provides food for her family and income to cover household expenses, including her children’s education. When harvests fail, the need to purchase food puts additional pressure on family finances and threatens their livelihoods.
Recognising the value of the knowledge she has gained, Sokhom now shares information about weather forecasts, water management and climate-resilient farming practices with other farmers in her community. By helping fellow farmers access and apply this information, she hopes they can make better-informed decisions and reduce losses caused by extreme weather.
As Cambodia marks World Food Day on October 16, this year themed “Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow”, her experience illustrates how accessible technology, practical agricultural knowledge and cooperation among farmers can help strengthen food security and rural livelihoods.
The PEARL Project, supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), works with the Cambodian government to improve farmers’ access to climate information and promote sustainable agricultural practices.
For Sokhom, being a food hero means more than growing crops. It means learning to adapt to changing weather, sharing knowledge with others and helping her community protect the harvests that sustain Cambodian families.