Ibis Rice
Tmatboey, Dangphlat, Prey Veng and Narong are four of the villages in the Northern Plains of Cambodia where Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is working with communities and the government to restore wildlife populations to historical levels, focusing on two protected areas.
Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary and Preah Vihear Protected Forest either contain, or are used by, long-established local communities, who are very poor and are heavily dependent upon the forest and surrounding habitat for their livelihoods. Agricultural-based livelihood development is limited by low prices offered by the few traders that visit. This provides little incentive for communities to improve agricultural efficiency. With growing human populations the pressure on land resources is increasing, leading to widespread forest clearance in key conservation areas and conflicts between communities and government agencies responsible for environmental protection. As land is one of the few easily available forms of wealth, community members have little incentive to engage with these government agencies. Successful wildlife and habitat conservation therefore depends on engaging them through tools that directly link local economic and social development to community conservation.
WCS is currently helping establish agricultural cooperatives, known as Village Marketing Networks, as the tool to bind improved livelihoods to conservation-friendly practices. The VMNs will:
- Target the poorer farmers, who are often not food secure and are more reliant on forest resources.
- Provide initial inputs, support (training in new agricultural techniques) and resources (Malis rice seed, for instance).
- Buy from farmers if they abide by conservation rules and regulations, including wildlife protection and maintenance of land-use boundaries agreed between the Government and the community.
- Offer preferential prices to community members, in some cases up to double what they previously would have received. The initial business model is based on sales in the tourist center of Cambodia.
WCS has been working to develop a wildlife-friendly brand for this rice, which is known as “Ibis Rice.” It is to be part of an umbrella brand of the Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network (
www.wildlifefriendly.org), providing second party certification and promoted globally. With the establishment of Sansom Mlup Prey as the responsible entity, it will be responsible for buying, processing and marketing the Wildlife Friendly
TM products, ensuring transparency and profit-sharing with farmers and VMNs at the end of each season.
Ibis Rice
Tmatboey, Dangphlat, Prey Veng and Narong are four of the villages in the Northern Plains of Cambodia where Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is working with communities and the government to restore wildlife populations to historical levels, focusing on two protected areas.
Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary and Preah Vihear Protected Forest either contain, or are used by, long-established local communities, who are very poor and are heavily dependent upon the forest and surrounding habitat for their livelihoods. Agricultural-based livelihood development is limited by low prices offered by the few traders that visit. This provides little incentive for communities to improve agricultural efficiency. With growing human populations the pressure on land resources is increasing, leading to widespread forest clearance in key conservation areas and conflicts between communities and government agencies responsible for environmental protection. As land is one of the few easily available forms of wealth, community members have little incentive to engage with these government agencies. Successful wildlife and habitat conservation therefore depends on engaging them through tools that directly link local economic and social development to community conservation.
WCS is currently helping establish agricultural cooperatives, known as Village Marketing Networks, as the tool to bind improved livelihoods to conservation-friendly practices. The VMNs will:
- Target the poorer farmers, who are often not food secure and are more reliant on forest resources.
- Provide initial inputs, support (training in new agricultural techniques) and resources (Malis rice seed, for instance).
- Buy from farmers if they abide by conservation rules and regulations, including wildlife protection and maintenance of land-use boundaries agreed between the Government and the community.
- Offer preferential prices to community members, in some cases up to double what they previously would have received. The initial business model is based on sales in the tourist center of Cambodia.
WCS has been working to develop a wildlife-friendly brand for this rice, which is known as “Ibis Rice.” It is to be part of an umbrella brand of the Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network (
www.wildlifefriendly.org), providing second party certification and promoted globally. With the establishment of Sansom Mlup Prey as the responsible entity, it will be responsible for buying, processing and marketing the Wildlife Friendly
TM products, ensuring transparency and profit-sharing with farmers and VMNs at the end of each season.