Press Release: Kampot Cooling Project Marks Completion, Strengthens Women’s Resilience to Heat in Cambodia’s Pepper Farm through Innovative Technology Solution
Updated: Jan 12, 2026 Reading time: 3 minutes Share: Share an articleKep Province, Cambodia – 12 December 2025 – Cambodia’s Kampot pepper has long been cherished around the world for its bright aroma and distinctive heat. But in recent years, extreme temperatures and prolonged drought have threatened both the crop and communities who depend on it—especially the women farmers who play essential, often overlooked roles across the pepper value chain.
This week, People in Need Cambodia (PIN), together with Solar Green Energy (SOGE), Banteay Srei and Fair Farms, welcomed government officer, development partners, farmers, and researchers to Sangkahak Mith Hotel in Kep Province to mark the close of Kampot Cooling, a solar-powered cooling and irrigation innovation made possible through the Technology Innovation Challenge, a joint initiative of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Gender Equality Division (CCSD-CCGE) and Innovation Hub, with funding from the High-Level Technology Fund (HLTF).
The Kampot Cooling Project piloted solar-powered cooling systems on pepper farms in the provinces of Kampot and Kep. Over one year, the initiative demonstrated how well-designed innovations can protect yields while reducing the pressure extreme heat places on women farmers, who make up a large share of the pepper workforce, often bear greater health and economic risks from heat exposure, and frequently carry heavy unpaid care responsibilities at home.
By pairing the cooling systems with targeted training, leadership sessions, and community engagement, the project strengthened women’s ability to shape decisions that affect their livelihoods and to guide heat adaptation efforts within their cooperatives and communities.
For Fair Farms and Reksa Farm, both long-standing champions of sustainable production, the cooling innovation offered a chance to rethink how pepper can be grown in a warming climate. Women farmers and workers participated in hands-on training to operate and maintain the technology and contributed to insights that helped refine the installation. This bottom-up approach led to stronger uptake and showed how climate solutions are more likely to succeed when women’s experiences guide the process.
The closing event highlighted key achievements of the project, including:
- The successful installation and operation of solar-powered cooling systems at demonstration farms, improving pepper production and reducing crop loss due to extreme weather.
- The active participation and empowerment of women farmers, fostering gender equality in sustainable agriculture practices.
- Knowledge sharing among stakeholders, including government representatives, private companies, farmers, and NGOs, on lessons learned and best practices.
- Opportunities for future collaboration and investment in climate-resilient agricultural technologies.
Participants at the closing event visited Reksa Farm in Kep and Fair Farm in Kampot to observe the solar cooling systems in action. Presentations and panel discussions provided insights on the project’s technical performance, value chain impact, and ways to scale innovative technologies for broader adoption.
The project successfully demonstrated how heat adaptation innovations, when paired with gender-responsive interventions, can play a crucial role in ensuring the long-term sustainability of Cambodia’s agricultural systems from the ground up.
Media Contact Details
For further information, please contact:
Ms. Senghorng Sem, Senior Communications Officer
- Tel: (+855)98 262 382
- Email: senghorng.sem@peopleinneed.net
Mr. Bun Penhpheak, Green Energy & Sustainable Markets Program Manager, People in Need
- Tel: (+855)
- Email: penhpheak.bun@peopleinneed.net
