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About

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 15:45:07 +0700

SANSOM MLUP PREY, a non-profit organization, was created in 2009 to promote and market wildlife-friendly products grown or crafted in the communities located in all categories of land protected for their biodiversity value in Cambodia. Its work links wildlife conservation to improving livelihoods of villagers limited by the constraints of living in a remote area with little opportunity to expand operations and limited market access. The Certified Wildlife Friendly product is Ibis Rice, a naturally organic product sold in hotels, restaurants and shops in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.

SMP works with village marketing networks (VMN), rural cooperatives whose members are made up of farmers who are often not food secure, relying on forest resources for income. Members are paid a premium for their produce when they abide by conservation rules and regulations, including wildlife protection and maintenance of land-use boundaries. Currently we are working in 10 villages, nine in Preah Vihear province and one in Kompong Thom province.

IBIS Rice

Conceived in 2008, the Ibis Rice brand was created to highlight the plight of Cambodia national bird, the Giant Ibis. Today this species is critically endangered, and is most easily seen in Preah Vihear province.

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.

In Preah Vihear, the Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary and the 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. In Kompong Thom, the Bengal Florican Conservation Area is located on the floodplain of the Tonle Sap, a large rice-growing area threatened by conversion to large-scale agriculture, and away from traditional land uses which allowed wildlife and communities to coexist.

Agricultural-based livelihood development is limited by low prices offered by the traders or middlemen who traditionally buy the villagers' excess paddy.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 working with them through tools that directly link local economic and social development to community conservation.

The Village Marketing Networks are the tools which couple improved livelihoods to conservation-friendly practices. The VMNs:

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 (pkha 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.

Based on criteria developed by the Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network (www.wildlifefriendly.org), Ibis Rice is now certified wildife-friendly and through WFEN, promoted globally. Sansom Mlup Prey was established as the responsible entity, responsible for buying, processing and marketing the Wildlife Friendly^® products, ensuring compliance and transparency.

media

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 06:16:54 +0700

Early Achievements

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:41:43 +0700

Ibis Rice has been purchased, processed and presented to the public.

Over 30 tons of Malis (fragrant) rice was purchased from farmers in these villages between December 2008 and January 2009, at almost double the price initially offered by local middlemen.

Farmers who signed up to the scheme signed agreements not to hunt species of conservation concern or clear land outside land-use plans developed by the village committees. This had an immediate noticeable impact, boosting the authority of the committees and reinforcing the importance of keeping to land-use plans.

Ten buyers for the rice have been identified in the tourist market in Siem Reap, including several up-market hotels. The hotels are Soria Moria, La Residence d'Angkor, Le Meridien Angkor, La Maison d'Angkor, River Garden, Shinta Mani, The Villa Siem Reap and Sojourn; the restaurants are Sugar Palm, the Warehouse, Common Grounds Caf, V and A, Kamasutra.

One boutique hotel with three properties in Phnom Penh, the Boddhi Tree, has shown support for the project by purchasing Ibis Rice prior to the scheduled availability in the capitol city. Since the launch in June, Le Wok has started serving Ibis Rice in Phnom Penh as well.

The preliminary financial model should eventually generate a return of 40-50%, which will be reinvested in expanding the Ibis Rice initiative and shared with local farmers as dividends.

Latest News

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:37:09 +0700

Ibis Rice Project

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:40:04 +0700

Several organizations work to implement the program which links livelihoods to conserving biodiversity.

A partnership of non-governmental organizations (NGO) and government agencies has made the link between economic development and environmental conservation with the launch of the 'Wildlife-Friendly Ibis Rice Project'. This project provides local communities with an incentive to engage in conservation, by offering farmers a premium price for their rice if they agree to abide conservation agreements that are designed to protect the rare water birds and other species that use the protected areas.

The first of these agreements is a land-use plan that is developed by the local community and which clearly delineates the areas that farmers are permitted to clear for growing rice or other produce. This therefore limits the conversion of wetland areas to rice fields. They then develop a 'no-hunting' agreement, which outlaws the hunting and collection of rare waterbirds and their chicks.

These agreements are enforced by a locally elected natural resource management committee, which is composed of representatives from the village, and thus guarantees a high degree of 'local ownership' of the scheme. Since the majority of the inhabitants of rural communities in Cambodia are engaged in rice farming, the scheme has the potential to benefit a high proportion of the population within each village.

The implementation of the project in each village follows a prescribed number of simple steps. Firstly, a Village Marketing Network (VMN) is formed in the village. The VMN is responsible for purchasing the rice from farmers and verifying that the farmers have respected the conservation agreements, with oversight from the natural resource management committee. The VMN then stores the rice at a central location within the village. Transportation, processing and packaging, as well as the eventual marketing and sale of the rice, is coordinated by Sansom Mlup Prey.

SMP organizes the collection of the rice from each of the participating villages, and delivers it to a mill where it is processed. The rice is then packaged and labeled as Wildlife FriendlyTM, and delivered to those outlets that have been contracted to sell the rice. WCS Cambodia has received certification from the Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network (WFEN,www.wildlifefriendly.org) for Ibis Rice so the rice can now be marketed under the Wildlife FriendlyTM brand. All contracts are negotiated by SMP, which is a non-profit organization. Farmers are paid when they supply their rice to the VMN, with the VMN funding the purchases from a cash advance provided by SMP; revenue earned by SMP is used to cover these advances, as well as funding their operating costs. Surplus revenue is returned to the VMNs to be divided amongst participating farmers.

Rice to the Occasion!

Thu, 05 May 2011 01:50:01 +0700

Rice Donation Program

Tourism in Cambodia is on the upswing. Over 2.5 million tourists visited in 2010. SMP has created an outreach program which is currently being offered to select business and tourist organizations in Siem Reap.

Many foreigners who come to Cambodia are moved to give back to the people who have touched their lives -- a tour guide, tuktuk driver or the charity they've visited on a day tour. In cooperation with participating business, SMP makes giving easy; we offer different sized packets of up to 50 kilograms of Ibis Rice, delivered to a location in the Siem Reap area.

The business simply has the guest complete the form on the back of the brochure, collects the funds and gives SMP a shout (or email). We do the rest: pick up forms and cash, package and deliver the rice, and if the guest requests, take a photo of recipient(s) receiving the rice and send a thank-you email to donor with the digital photo attached. The donations will also be featured on the Ibis Rice facebook page.

We provide each establishment this poster [show poster], a small green ¼ kilo cloth sack of rice and brochures of the Ibis Rice project. It is expected that reputable businesses providing outreach opportunities to their guests, clients, or customers will not charge commissions.

This program offers rice at a higher price than found in local groceries to cover not just the normal costs but also includes a donation to SMP to help fund expansion of the wildlife friendly scheme to 5 more villages in 2011.

Here is a list of participating enterprises: Concert, Beyond Tour, Sojourn, The Villa Siem Reap, Hotel de la Paix, Victoria Resort & Spa, Mc Dermott Gallery, La Maison d'Angkor, Common Grounds Caf, About Asia Travel , Amansara, Soria Moria, La Residence d'Angkor, and more to come.

In Siem Reap, visit any of these businesses or come to the Sam Veasna Center to donate Ibis Rice to someone in need.

Supporters

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:45:47 +0700

The work of improving the livelihoods of families living in protected areas and saving Cambodia wildlife is being done with the help of many hands. Most of the hotels we list below have a history of giving back to the communities in which they operate, and serving Ibis Rice on their menus is just being consistent with their corporate missions.

Other establishments value our products for their intrinsic qualities. Ibis Rice, pkha malis, is fragrant and tasty, naturally grown in Cambodia, without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers.

Contributions from funders are responsible for establishing SMP and helping develop Ibis Rice into a preferred Cambodian staple. Partner non-governmental organizations (NGO) are vital in providing expertise when necessary, both in the villages and in the marketplace. The success of this Wildlife Friendly project has all these groups to thank:

There are currently eleven products available

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:42:29 +0700

Grade A Ibis Rice

Brown Rice (3 sizes)

The 1 kilogram (kg) packet of brown Ibis Rice is a popular item in shops and boutique food stores. Five kilogram sacks are also available. Though restaurants and hotels can order brown in 50 kg sacks, they tend to buy it in 5 kg sacks, to retain freshness.

White Rice (3 sizes)

Most Ibis Rice is sold in 50 kilogram sacks, to hotels and restaurant and to single families. Smaller sized packages of white Ibis Rice, both 1 and 5 kilogram sizes are available in local supermarkets and specialty shops in both Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.

Tourist-sized packages (white only)

The smaller green package of Ibis Rice is carried by participating restaurants and hotels. They will also be found in other places frequented by tourists, such as airports and souvenir shops. The small sacks contain one quarter kilo of white Ibis Rice. Often establishments will have the green sack as part of a display holding Ibis Rice brochures.

Grade B+ Ibis Rice

White Rice (50 kg only)

A limited amount of Grade B+ white rice is generated in the milling process. This rice is composed of up to 50% broken grains. It is purchased by several commercial establishments for their staff cafeterias.

Brown Rice (50 kg only)

With the addition of our second mill, grade B+ brown rice is now available. Currently, we do not have a market for this rice, though many places have started to sample it. One of our customers is thinking of buying B+ brown for a village they have adopted as a development project.

Grades B and C Ibis Rice

White Rice (50 kg only)

These are also by-products of the milling process; grade B is up to 75% broken grains while grade C has up to 100% broken grains.The latter is sold from the mill for fish and animal feed. White grade B Ibis Rice is sold to organzations working with street childrend or those helping marginalized individuals.

Partnerships and Funding

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:40:54 +0700

Cooperation between partners, stakeholders and donors is important for pilot program to go forward.

The Wildlife-Friendly Ibis Rice Project is implemented by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and the Forestry Administration. The project is funded by a 2-year World Bank Development Marketplace grant, a 1-year APFED grant and part of the UNDP-GEF CALM project. All village-level activities, including subcontracts to local NGO partners, are supported by the Multi-Donor Livelihoods Facility (MDLF) Civil Society and Pro-poor Marketing Program (CSPPM) through The Asia Foundation. The MDLF comprises the UK government Department for International Development (DfID), the Danish International Aid Agency (Danida) and New Zealand Aid.

There are several partners involved in the implementation of the project. Farmers receive training on how to grow new varieties of rice, maintain rice quality, maintain water levels and procure seeds. Support is also provided for the creation of a local VMN, managed by a local board of elected officials; training includes courses on financial management, stock keeping and rice storage. These activities are implemented by SMP as well as other NGOs, such as Farmer Livelihood Development (FLD).

WCS and the VMN are responsible for the certification and purchase of Ibis-Friendly Rice in each village, with the help of SMP. Local Village Committees manage land-use plans each year, and develop plans for acceptable rice field expansion for approval by the community and the government agencies. Each year the VMNs prepare a list of candidate farmers for the Ibis Rice scheme that have kept to land-use plans and respected the no-hunting agreements.

SMP is part of a team responsible for the monitoring of village land use. WCS independently verifies that the candidate farmers have followed land-use plans and agreements, in close consultation with the government agencies running the reserves, and the VMNs are then provided with financial capital by SMP to arrange the purchase from the chosen farmers. Rice is then kept in the VMN village storage area.

SMP transports the Ibis Rice from the village store for processing, milling and packaging at a mill close to the point of sale. Initially, most rice is to be sold to hotels and restaurants in either Siem Reap or Phnom Penh. Towards the end of the first year, rice will be sold in smaller consumer-sized packages in shops in those same cities. The marketing and sale of Ibis Rice is undertaken by SMP, who verify sales and ensure that Wildlife-Friendly criteria are being adhered to. SMP maintains a list of acceptable buyers, who follow certain procedures in their restaurants, such as banning the sale of wildlife products and bushmeat on their premises.

SMPCAMBODIA.org Rss Feed

About

IBIS Rice

media

Early Achievements

Ibis Rice has been purchased, processed and presented to the public.

Latest News

Ibis Rice Project

Several organizations work to implement the program which links livelihoods to conserving biodiversity.

Rice to the Occasion!

Rice Donation Program

Supporters

Sponsors

There are currently eleven products available

Grade A Ibis Rice

Brown Rice (3 sizes)

White Rice (3 sizes)

Tourist-sized packages (white only)

Grade B+ Ibis Rice

White Rice (50 kg only)

Brown Rice (50 kg only)

Grades B and C Ibis Rice

White Rice (50 kg only)

Partnerships and Funding

Cooperation between partners, stakeholders and donors is important for pilot program to go forward.