Government bans common practice for harvesting popular food item: ‘Serious destruction’
The Cambodian government has taken a promising step to protect trees that are essential to the country.
The Cambodian Ministry of Environment banned the cutting of Samrong trees, which produce coveted malva nuts used for traditional medicine in the region. Fruit collectors have been taking down entire trees to harvest malva nuts because they are too tall to climb, according to The Phnom Penh Post.
The ministry implemented the ban because cutting has endangered the Samrong tree in recent years. The government noted an increase in the felling of these trees in Cambodia’s forests, nature reserves, and national parks. The Cambodian government considers felling Samrong trees to be “the most serious destruction of natural resources,” according to the Khmer Times.
The government expressed hope that the ban would help slow the extinction of Samrong trees. This is good news for locals living in forest communities, many of whom have expressed concerns over the loss of Samrong trees in the area.
Tree felling has caused disruptions for local residents who have to deal with fallen trunks near their homes.
“The people cutting the trees come from outside the community. We’ve never arrived in time to catch them. All we see are the felled trees, after the fact,” Phou Phorn, a community member, told The Phnom Penh Post.
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Illegal tree felling is not just a nuisance for residents who live near the trees. It also damages ecosystems and can contribute to further air pollution, which warms the atmosphere and poses health risks to humans.
Tree cutting in its most extreme form leads to deforestation, which has already caused soil erosion and flooding in Cambodia, according to Confluences Asia. This tree-cutting ban is the first step in curbing these destructive practices and preserving access to the country’s beloved malva nut.
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