PHNOM PENH, 2 October 2013 (IRIN) - Song Kong, a 56-year-old farmer in Cambodia's southern Koh Kong Province, vividly recalls the day in 2006 when a bulldozer arrived and began clearing his paddy field to make room for a sugar plantation. Since then, life has become much worse for him and 456 other families who also lost their land in Sre Ambel District.
“Before my farmland was taken from me, I was able to save at least US$1,000 every year. Now, I don't have any land, so I rely on fishing in the rice fields and streams,” said Kong, a representative of the community. He earns between US$1.25 and $2.50 per day - not enough for his family of six to live on - so there is nothing left to put aside for a safety cushion, or plan for a better future.
Kong is not alone. Across Cambodia more than 700,000 people have lost their homes and land due to economic land concessions, many to plantations that supply sugar to some of the world's largest beverage brands. Sugar cane covers more than 100,000 hectares of Cambodia. Read the full article here.
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