Vegetables, Wetlands and Waste: Ensuring Food Safety in Phnom Penh

Across Southeast Asia, consumers and scientist are increasingly concerned about the chemical contamination of food. From cancer-causing agents in cow's milk to pesticide residues on fruit, tainted food is a major environmental problem. In Phnom Penh, this is a particularly worrying, since a large percentage of the city's vegetables are grown in wetlands that are also used to absorb municipal and industrial waste. This means that the vegetables in many local markets pose a serious health hazard, since they are contaminated with heavy metals and other toxic pollutants. This study has looked at ways of halting the production of this contaminated food, while adequately compensating those farmers affected. It finds that the most cost-effective solution would be to re-locate the farmers who are currently cultivating the polluted wetlands and to set up an irrigation system for their new fields that would use treated household wastewater. It recommends that relocation be accompanied by a public awareness campaign to explain the dangers of consuming contaminated vegetables.