Impact Story

by Inthadom Akkharath, National Secretariat Specialist, WGA-Lao PDR, and Lourdes Adriano, CASP2 Team Leader Lurking Poverty

by Edgar Valenzuela, Communications and Knowledge Management Specialist and Lourdes Adriano, CASP2 Team Leader

by Son Le Trung, National Secretariat Specialist, WGA-Viet Nam Son Na- their home and the impending threat on their livelihood This is the story of Mrs. Huynh Thi Son Na and her husband, Mr. Yet Folla. Both of Khmer ethnicity, they live in a far- flung and poor area called Thuan Hung commune, My Tu district in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang. This is about 300 km from Ho Chi Minh City.

Natural Gold Palm Sugar produces high quality palm sugar in Cambodia. Ket Chet, the dynamic and youthful entrepreneur explained that he selected the Palm Tree as this is also symbol of the country. He works with other small farmers and he said that harvesting the toddy to make the palm sugar is a very risky business. Nevertheless the palm sugar is a very healthy product which can be used by everyone, even those with high sugar levels. It is a natural superfood, has a low glycemic index and can be taken by diabetics.

Natural Garden was started in 2008 and produces, distributes and retails high quality organic rice and chemical-free vegetables, fruits and other healthy products. Well-known and regarded by the public, Natural Garden owns three farms, four stores in Phnom Penh and has an online distribution channel. This enables them to manage the supply chain from the production side to the shopping basket.

The VOAA is an umbrella organization – a civil society organization (CSO), of individual experts, consumers, producers and corporate entities involved in the organic agricultural movement and the entire food value chain– from organic production, processing, business, services, import and export, and organic product consumption in Vietnam.