Solving Social Issues Through Entrepreneurship Vol.11

Before starting the business, I worked at a bank, while my wife, Sophors, was employed at an internet-related company. However, her family had been producing dried fish since her grandmother’s generation, and we became increasingly determined to preserve and pass this tradition on to future generations.

The fisheries sector is often regarded as a high-risk industry due to the challenges of maintaining freshness. Without proper preservation, fish are often sold at very low prices. We believed that by applying appropriate processing techniques and quality control measures, we could increase the value of fish and create higher-value products. At the same time, we wanted to contribute to improving the livelihoods of local fishers. With these goals in mind, we established Spotlight Food in 2019.

Today, Eefa oversees documentation and quality management, while Sophors leads production operations. By combining our respective experiences and strengths, we are working to integrate traditional fish-processing knowledge with modern quality management practices.
 

To be honest, we had given very little thought to topics such as gender and environmental sustainability before joining Cnai. Everything we know about these issues today has come through the program.

One of the most memorable experiences was attending a lecture on gender and workplace practices delivered by Professor Kasumi Nakagawa of Pannasastra University. The session had a significant impact on our organization. Immediately afterward, we developed and introduced an anti-harassment policy and established formal maternity leave regulations within our company. These measures have helped us create a more inclusive and supportive workplace for our employees.

We currently employ six staff members, with a nearly equal balance of men and women. One of our female employees recently gave birth and is currently on maternity leave while continuing to receive her salary. Beginning this year, we also plan to introduce annual health checkups for all employees. While these initiatives increase business costs, we believe they contribute to greater employee satisfaction and a stronger sense of well-being.

Our business is also deeply connected to the local community. I visit the Tonle Sap Lake area at least once a month and meet directly with producers. Some of these relationships date back to my wife's grandmother's generation, while others are new partnerships. By offering stable purchasing agreements, we help producers secure reliable markets for their products and improve their livelihoods. In the past, fish that could not be sold on the same day often had to be sold at heavily discounted prices. Today, sales can be planned more strategically.

We currently partner with eight aquaculture and fishing households around Tonle Sap Lake, most of which are led by women. Approximately 80 percent of the fresh fish we use is sourced from these households. Through stable purchasing agreements, we support women’s income generation and economic empowerment while also contributing to local economic development.

In addition, we have provided food safety and hygiene training for 25 women fishers and suppliers. These sessions cover topics such as proper storage techniques, maintaining nutritional value, and hygiene standards. Through these efforts, we are helping build a sustainable supply chain capable of meeting international food safety requirements.

Our efforts have also been recognized by the Fisheries Administration, which selected Spotlight Food Enterprise as a Lead Trainer to share practical knowledge and experience with local fishers and fish collection enterprises. Through training courses and workshops, we provide guidance on maintaining high standards of food safety and hygiene, managing product quality from harvest to consumption, and increasing the value of local fisheries products. By sharing these skills and experiences, we hope to contribute to community development and support the sustainable growth of Cambodia’s fisheries sector.

Before joining Cnai, we rarely thought about gender issues or creating a more inclusive workplace. By putting what we have learned into practice, we have come to realize that these efforts have positive impacts not only on our employees but also on our suppliers and the wider community.

Through Cnai, we established a valuable relationship with Neaty Food Solution, another finalist company that provides quality management and certification support services for food-processing businesses.

As we aspire to export our products internationally, obtaining certifications such as GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is essential. Neaty Food Solution has been supporting us through consulting services, including reviewing our factory layout, recommending necessary equipment, and providing employee training.

For example, we have introduced quality-control equipment such as moisture meters and salinity meters to strengthen production management. In particular, using a Japanese-made salinity meter has helped us maintain more consistent product quality and reduce variations between batches.

We are currently working with Cambodia’s Ministry of Commerce and the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce to obtain GMP and HACCP certifications. These certifications will allow us not only to expand into the domestic hotel market but also to enter international export markets.

The certification process requires extensive documentation, facility improvements, and internal system development, making it a challenging undertaking. Nevertheless, we view it as a critical investment in our future growth.

We also hope to leverage export promotion programs offered by the Mekong River Commission (MRC) to expand into other countries across the Mekong region. In addition, through the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce network, we are exploring opportunities in markets such as Australia, Singapore, and Canada.

Our ambitions extend beyond growing our own business. We aim to expand training opportunities for fishers and aquaculture producers around Tonle Sap Lake, sharing knowledge related to quality management and food safety. In doing so, we hope to contribute to the overall improvement and sustainable development of Cambodia’s fisheries sector.

At the same time, we are committed to preserving Cambodia’s traditional fish-processing culture while creating products that can compete in international markets. Ultimately, our goal is to ensure that the benefits of our growth are shared with local producers and communities, allowing us to prosper together.