Beating the Heat Boosts Incomes for Women Pepper Farmers in Cambodia

High-impact technology and new skills are uplifting Cambodian women pepper farmers, building resilience to extreme heat and drought.

By Asian Development Bank

March 6^th, 2026

Ngourn Sopheary begins her day at 5 am to tend her pepper plants. After taking her two children to school, she returns home for more farmwork and household chores. The pepper yields from Sopheary’s small plot of land in Cambodia’s southwestern province of Kampot, supplemented by her husband’s occasional delivery jobs, have sustained the household since 2013.

Famous worldwide for its distinctive flavor, Kampot pepper is a high-value export that can transform the finances of farmers like Sopheary, who shifted from rice cultivation on shared land after investing in her own pepper plot hoping for a better future.

In recent years, these hopes have been upturned by increasingly prolonged heatwaves and droughts. Coastal provinces such as Kampot are experiencing longer dry seasons and more erratic rainfall, with temperatures projected to rise nationwide.Pepper plants are highly sensitive to these conditions, and Sopheary, 35, has seen her yields and income drop significantly. “I used to harvest about 500-600 kg of pepper per year,” she explains. “Unfortunately, in 2022 and 2023 my yield dropped unexpectedly to only 30-40 kg per year, and I lacked the technical knowledge to restore the yield. It has been difficult to support my family and manage expenses.”

Pepper farmers like Sopheary now need new skills and knowledge to maintain a healthy harvest.

Ngourn Sopheary closely inspects the quality of the pepper plants that sustain her livelihood.

Across the province, smallholder pepper farmers like Sopheary have reported annual income losses of 30-40% as well as production and irrigation cost increases. Most smallholders lack financial safety nets to cope with these losses, and capital-intensive heat adaptation measures such as climate-resilient infrastructure and improved agronomic practices are typically out of reach. Climate-related challenges are compounded by declining pepper prices and rising input and labor costs in the wake of COVID-19. Even Kampot’s better-resourced commercial pepper farms have been heavily impacted, prompting workforce reductions of up to 50%.

Beating the Heat Boosts Incomes for Women Pepper Farmers in Cambodia

Women, who make up most of Cambodia’s agricultural workforce, are disproportionately affected by these losses. Their overrepresentation in seasonal labor and lower value agricultural tasks means lower job security and pay as well as minimal decision-making power on farms. This, combined with unequal access to finance and training, limits women farmers’ resilience and ability to adapt.

Rising temperatures affect both women and men, but the impact on women is greater due to existing gender inequalities. An unequal distribution of unpaid care and domestic work, combined with extended hours undertaking labor-intensive agricultural tasks, exacerbates women farmers’ exposure to heat stress, limiting their productivity and risking their physical health.

Heng Thavy (pink), 28, and Chun Sreyneath (red), 27, work at Raksa Farm in Chamkar Bei village, Pong Teuk commune, Damnak Chang Aer district, Kep province, Cambodia, September 16, 2025.

Chun Sreyneath, 27, checks pepper plants at Raksa Farm in Chamkar Bei village, Pong Teuk commune, Damnak Chang Aer district, Kep province, Cambodia, September 16, 2025.

For Heng Thavy, who has been working on a commercial pepper farm for the past two years, the increasingly severe heat is taking a toll.

“I work 8 hours a day on the farm from 7 am. There is no shelter or resting area, and the water source is far from the plot. I usually wear a cap, long sleeves, and gloves, but the heat still affects me, especially when it’s followed by rain, causing me to regularly suffer from flu,” she explains.

28-year old Heng Thavy lives in Kep province, Cambodia, where she works full time on a commercial pepper plant as an agricultural laborer.

An Innovative Solution

To help farmers beat the heat, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), through its Technology Innovation Challenge and the High-Level Technology Fund, has supported an innovative solution implemented by the International Non-Profit Organization, People in Need, in partnership with a local women’s organization, a women-led renewable energy company, and private farms.

Solar-powered smart cooling and irrigation system for pepper cultivation at Raksa Farm in Chamkar Bei village, Pong Teuk commune, Damnak Chang Aer district, Kep province, Cambodia, September 16, 2025.

Field visit for âKampot Cooling: Innovative Technology Solution to Save Cambodiaâs World-Famous Pepperâ at Raksa Farm in Chamkar Bei village, Pong Teuk commune, Damnak Chang Aer district, Kep province, Cambodia, September 16, 2025.

Participants learn about the solar-powered smart cooling and irrigation system for pepper cultivation during the field visit for âKampot Cooling: Innovative Technology Solution to Save Cambodiaâs World-Famous Pepperâ at Raksa Farm in Chamkar Bei village, Pong Teuk commune, Damnak Chang Aer district, Kep province, Cambodia, September 16, 2025.

The benefits of the technology are widely shared to promote replication.

A solar-powered cooling and irrigation system to combat heat stress and water scarcity has been designed and piloted through the project, with strong potential for replication elsewhere. In addition to supporting climate adaption, the solar powered system reduces fossil fuel reliance thereby providing mitigation co-benefits.

Aerial view of solar-powered smart cooling and irrigation system for pepper cultivation at Raksa Farm in Chamkar Bei village, Pong Teuk commune, Damnak Chang Aer district, Kep province, Cambodia, September 16, 2025.

Since the system was introduced by her employer, Thavy’s workday and physical comfort levels have been transformed.

“Now we can rest under the spraying water to feel cool. This helps us to work more comfortably, and we feel less exhausted. The system even operates automatically when the temperature rises,” she says. “This not only helps us to stay healthy. It improves our productivity and incomes.”

Thavy undertakes her daily tasks at the farm with greater ease.

Watering the plants has become less challenging

Empowering Women

Empowerment programs for women pepper farmers have been delivered by local women’s organization, Banteay Srey, including sessions on heat-focused climate adaptation and women’s leadership skills, aiming to enhance their decision-making power. Financial literacy skills training and a community-savings modality are being introduced, mobilizing local women's networks to enhance financial autonomy and resilience. Following training, 30 participants will be equipped to deliver peer-to-peer support to extended networks of women farmers.

Women gather at a project site to exchange their knowledge and experiences.

Knowledge and skills are passed on peer-to-peer.

For Sopheary, the support has proven invaluable. “After the training, I started applying new methods to protect my pepper farm from high temperatures by using shade nets and planting cover crops,” she says. “As a result, the soil moisture has improved, which makes me feel more confident that my pepper yields and quality will improve, and I can sell my produce at a better price. I also learned how to better manage family expenses and save for the future.”

Sopheary is keen to continue developing her skills. “The training has given me the hope and motivation to keep improving my farm, and I want to learn more about compost fertilizer production, climate change adaptation and savings. I hope to continue improving my pepper yields and income so I can support a better future for my children.”

Sopheary’s confidence in the future of her farm has been restored.

Small farm owners like Sopheary are learning new techniques.

The future looks bright for the farmer and mother of two.

Heng Thavy feels the project has brought her entrepreneurial aspirations within reach. “With the new cooling technology, I hope the farm can increase its productivity, so workers can earn more and save to start businesses. One day, I hope to have a small plot of my own to grow pepper plants."

Thavy hopes to one day have a farm of her own.

The farm worker and mother of one feels optimistic about the path ahead.

She looks forward to continuing to develop her skills and build up her savings.

Across Asia and the Pacific, ADB is helping women like Heng Thavy and Ngourn Sopheary to build resilience to heat stress by mobilizing women-led organizations and communities to drive innovations and support designed for women’s needs. These efforts translate into tangible solutions to a once-overwhelming challenge, and renewed hope for a cooler, more prosperous future.

Footnotes

Photos by: Cy Liu

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FootNotes

Photos by: Cy Liu