Pepper plantations in danger: why did Kampot pepper almost disappear?

Pepper is definitely considered a national treasure of Cambodia. However, this Asian country nearly lost its treasure. The rule of the Khmer Rouge – an extremely nationalist organization that committed a true national genocide in the country between 1975 and 1979 – caused not only many human casualties but also the loss of part of the country's culture along with the tradition of growing pepper. Why did the green peppercorns bother the Khmer Rouge so much?

Agriculture yes, bourgeoisie no

To better understand the motive behind the destruction of pepper plantations, it is necessary to explain why the Khmer Rouge unleashed brutal terror in the country in the first place. The idea of Pol Pot and his party was to establish so-called agrarian utopian socialism in the country, meaning to set up state mechanisms relying exclusively on agriculture and a system of redistribution, through which the country would become completely self-sufficient.

The problem, however, was that at that time, there were too many people living in Cambodia to establish such a regime. Therefore, targeted elimination began of those who had nothing to offer the newly created system. These were primarily the upper classes, the educated, whether teachers, doctors, lawyers, merchants, and other professionals. Somewhat surprisingly, pepper growers were also included in the group of bourgeois elements, who were forced to destroy their pepper plantations or, in worse cases, abandon their farms.

Decades of restoring traditions

The terror of the Khmer Rouge lasted less than five years, yet it was carried out with such efficiency that the tradition of growing pepper almost disappeared. The situation was further worsened by the fact that the southern regions of Kampot and Kep became a refuge for the remaining Khmer Rouge after the regime was overthrown, as they hid in the local mountains. These areas historically belonged to regions with the highest pepper production, and the presence of the Khmer Rouge continued to prevent its cultivation.

The situation only changed after the turn of the millennium, when the tradition of growing pepper was revived, and in less than 20 years, pepper once again became a dominant agricultural commodity. Kampot pepper now helps not only culturally but primarily economically to forget the bitter taste of the past.