Beneath the shade of a sprawling cashew tree, Sev Thvay crouches beside a gaping wound in its trunk, scraping away decaying wood with a knife as bits of bark fall to the ground. The damage stretches from near the base of the tree toward a large hollow in its centre, exposing the scars left by white grubs that had burrowed deep into the wood. partner content banner “This one is big,” Thvay said, using his knife to dig out a large palm weevil larva from one of his cashews. “This is its nest.” The 26-year-old Jarai farmer from Peak village in Yutong commune, O'yadaw district, probed the cavity in search of the larvae that have become an increasingly familiar threat to farmers in this remote indigenous community. Sev Thvay uses a knife to dig for white grubs beneath one of his cashew trees on his farm in O'Yadaw District. Kiripost/Prak Chan Thul Sev Thvay uses a knife to dig for white grubs beneath one of his cashew trees on his farm in O'Yadaw District. Kiripost/Prak Chan Thul Around him stand rows of cashew trees, their branches casting dappled shadows across the plantation floor. Thvay said the crisis is worse than years before, fuelled by climate change, environmental degradation and the increasing use of agricultural chemicals. "Before, we had a few white grubs on a few trees but now we have a lot," Thvay said. "Not just the white grubs, we also have termites. They eat the roots and the trees." Sev Thvay stands amid his cashew farm in O'Yadaw District. Kiripost/Vann Chan Thada Sev Thvay stands amid his cashew farm in O'Yadaw District. Kiripost/Vann Chan Thada Leaving Peak village, the journey to Thvay's farm follows a winding red dirt road through rolling hills, patches of forest and small clusters of homes. The route crosses a wooden bridge over a narrow stream before passing an Indian-owned gold mining operation, where security guards monitor access at the entrance. Several kilometres from the village lies the family farm, where Thvay's parents spend much of their time cultivating crops. Like many farming households in the area, they often stay at the farm during the growing season, living close to the land that provides their livelihood. Leaving Peak village, the road to Thvay's farm winds through rolling hills and forest, crossing a wooden bridge and passing a gold mine guarded at the entrance. Kiripost/Vann Chan Thada Leaving Peak village, the road to Thvay's farm winds through rolling hills and forest, crossing a wooden bridge and passing a gold mine guarded at the entrance. Kiripost/Vann Chan Thada "I was born to parents who are farmers. Farming supports their lives," Thvay said. Located about 70 kilometres northeast of Banlung City, Peak village is a remote Indigenous Jarai community in O'yadaw district surrounded by cashew plantations, rice fields and patches of forest. Most of the village's 229 families rely on farming for their livelihoods, with cashew nuts serving as a key cash crop. "The people in this village are farmers. If they make enough, they can just eat and if they can harvest more in a good season, they can sell the organic rice," he said. A man sells goods from his motorbike as he travels through Peak village, O'Yadaw District. Kiripost/Vann Chan Thada A man sells goods from his motorbike as he travels through Peak village, O'Yadaw District. Kiripost/Vann Chan Thada Hollow trunk In recent years, however, many farmers say their livelihoods have come under increasing pressure from pests attacking their crops. As Thvay reaches into the hollowed trunk, the extent of the damage is visible. The once-solid wood had become brittle and rotten in places, leaving the tree vulnerable to further decline. The infestation has added to farmers' expenses as they spend more money on pesticides and pest control measures while still losing trees and harvests. "It is a loss of our money and labour," he said. Thvay believes that the problem is linked to both climate change and the loss of surrounding forests. He said forests once provided habitat and food sources for insects and wildlife, but expanding farmland and population growth have steadily reduced forest cover. Sev Thvay's family home on his cashew farm Sev Thvay's family home on his cashew farm "We didn't have these problems before because there were a lot of forests that were their shelters and food," he said. "Now there is nowhere to eat so there are only cashews that they can eat." Farmers have increasingly relied on pesticides to combat infestations, yet many remain uneasy about the consequences. "It can be a two-faced sword," Thvay said. "When we use insecticides, there may be more diseases and we humans can also have some sicknesses in our bodies." Although he supports reducing chemical use, he acknowledged the difficult trade-offs facing farmers. "If we do it naturally, we don't have a good harvest. We can't balance it." He urged fellow indigenous farmers to use pesticides sparingly and only when necessary. For Thvay, the stakes extend beyond damaged trees and lower incomes. He fears worsening environmental conditions could force more people to leave their communities in search of work. "When people face these problems, they will have difficulties as they depend on farming for living. Their family would be breaking up as they don't have enough to eat," he said. A Jarai villager walks past rice paddies in O'Yadaw District, Ratanakiri Province. Kiripost/Vann Chan Thada A Jarai villager walks past rice paddies in O'Yadaw District, Ratanakiri Province. Kiripost/Vann Chan Thada Rising pressure on farmers Puy Tin, 30, heads a volunteer group that advises villagers on crop production and environmental protection. Like many residents, he also grows cashews, rice and potatoes. "Farmers are facing problems with their crops being eaten by insects and pests," he said. His network has been encouraging villagers to experiment with alternative pest-control methods, including homemade sprays made from plant materials, star gooseberry peel, vinegar, chili, lemon and water. To tackle white grubs, some villagers pour boiling water into holes and damaged tree trunks, while others continue buying commercial pesticides. Despite those efforts, Tin said the situation has worsened. "We have these problems worse than last year.” An elementary school in Peak Village, O'Yadaw District. An elementary school in Peak Village, O'Yadaw District. Last year, he said, pests damaged potatoes, corn and rice. Tin suspects extensive chemical use could be contributing to environmental imbalances. "I don't know why there are problems now. Maybe we used too many chemicals on grass. Because we don't want to cut the grass ourselves, we use chemicals to kill the grass." Climate change may also be playing a role. "There is less rain, so it's hotter. Insects have come out and destroyed crops," he said. The consequences are increasingly visible across the community. Some farmers have abandoned agriculture altogether, seeking jobs at nearby farms, an Indian-owned gold mining company or elsewhere. According to Tin, around 20 families have left the village because they could no longer sustain themselves through farming and had accumulated debts. "The future for indigenous people will be even harder. They will just have to work for others," he said. A Jarai villager walks past rice paddies in O'Yadaw District, Ratanakiri Province. Kiripost/Vann Chan Thada A Jarai villager walks past rice paddies in O'Yadaw District, Ratanakiri Province. Kiripost/Vann Chan Thada Concerns beyond the farm Tin expressed concerns about environmental pollution linked to mining activities near the community. "The village is also polluted by chemicals due to mining companies, polluting the river, killing fish and buffaloes," he said, adding that he fears additional development could further displace local communities. "If more companies are coming, my community would have to move out.” Beyond the economic impact, he worries about the future of Jarai youth, many of whom leave school before graduation and migrate to urban areas for work. "They stop school in Grade 9 or 10 and find work in Phnom Penh," he said. "I am worried about Jarai. I am worried about them having to find work far away." Cashew association says problem is localised Uon Silot, President of the Cambodian Cashew Nuts Association, said the pest and termite problems reported in Ratanakiri province do not reflect conditions across Cambodia's cashew sector. "Areas like Kampong Thom, Kampong Cham or Kratie don't have many big issues because farmers check their farms every time, every month, every day, and when they see the problems, they take action immediately," he said. However, Silot suggested that some farmers in Ratanakiri may not be monitoring their plantations as closely. "I think farmers in Ratanakiri province farm based on cultivating crops based on expected yield, so they can't check their farms carefully," he said. Silot noted that climate change has contributed to increases in pests and insects across the country, but added that measures have been implemented to control outbreaks. He also noted that Indigenous farmers in Ratanakiri are not members of the association and cautioned against excessive use of agricultural chemicals. Sev Thvay's cashew farm Sev Thvay's cashew farm A wider pattern Miguel Jeronimo, a Phnom Penh-based Portuguese freelance photographer, writer and exhibition curator, said the challenges described by villagers reflect broader environmental pressures affecting rural communities. "I believe the decreasing habitats will always have a long-term effect on farmland and the ecology of the place, forcing animals to migrate and potentially leading to more tensions with farmers in terms of livelihoods," he said. Jeronimo warned that increasing pesticide use may provide temporary relief but could deepen environmental problems over time. "Responding with larger scale use of pesticides will always be a short-term solution that will create more environmental degradation and further issues," he said. "It increases health hazards brought by the chemicals while poisoning soil and depleting it from the capacity to regenerate." Jeronimo argued that Indigenous communities frequently bear the heaviest burden of environmental and economic changes. "Clearly, the current socioeconomic model is not sustainable, and it is always the poorest who bear the cost," he said, citing land loss, predatory lending practices and economic land concessions among the pressures facing rural communities. A Jarai villager walks past rice paddies in O'Yadaw District, Ratanakiri Province. Kiripost/Vann Chan Thada A Jarai villager walks past rice paddies in O'Yadaw District, Ratanakiri Province. Kiripost/Vann Chan Thada According to Jeronimo, displacement can also erode cultural identity and traditional connections to land. "It's the same story we have been seeing everywhere. Indigenous communities are often the most knowledgeable in protecting and managing nature, but they are the first ones to be dispossessed and feel the effects of climate change and human-made ecological pressures," he said. Homes of Jarai villagers in O'yadaw district Homes of Jarai villagers in O'yadaw district Back at the cashew plantation, Thvay said he is uncertain about the future of his community. "Climate change is caused by humans. When Jarai people face these problems, they struggle because they depend on farming for their livelihoods," Thvay said. “Families can be separated when they don't have enough food or income. Some people have to leave their homes and work far away to support themselves and their families.”