Rice flakes with candied fruits and cashew nut cheese on the podium of Thnot Awards d’Or 2024

Rice flakes with candied fruit created by a team of students from the Institute of Technology of Cambodia seduced the jury of the Thnot d’Or who placed this breakfast preparation on the highest step of the podium of the final of the 2024 edition held on July 27.

The second and third place were awarded respectively to the team from the Royal University of Agriculture and that of the Institute of Technology of Kampong Speu, which, by the greatest of coincidences, each developed, in their own way, a cashew nut cheese.

The students' work was judged by a jury composed of Dr. Ai Songheng, Director of the Regional Center for the Development of Vocational Training at the Ministry of Education (Chairman), Mr. Sok Sarang (ECOCERT), Mr. Lao Reasey (Deputy Director of the Intellectual Property Department at the Ministry of Commerce), Mr. Philippe Monnin (Director of Memot Rubber Plantation) and Dr. NGUON Samnang (Dean and Research Director at the Royal University of Agriculture).

This final, which was attended, in addition to the eleven competing in the final rounds, by some 200 students from the food production and agronomy departments of universities and technical training institutions in the country, was chaired by HE Say Sam Al, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction as well as President of the Phnom Penh branch of the Federation of Youth Associations of Cambodia.

This was the fifth final of Thnot d'Or Awards launched in 2018 by the Kinal Foundation, an instrument of the Corporate Social Responsibility - CSR - policy of the PPM-Confirel Group, in order to encourage students in food production and agronomy in Cambodia to engage in research and innovation in order to actively participate in the rural development of the kingdom. The theme chosen for the 2024 edition was "the valorization through innovation of plants with high health benefits". “At a time when cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and diabetes are exploding in Cambodia due to a diet too rich in fat and sugar linked to the “Westernization” of food, I wanted, by proposing this topic on the valorization of plants with high health benefits, to promote a principle that should guide us all if we want to be healthy: let our food be our first medicine,” noted in his welcome speech Dr. Hay Le Eang, President of the Kinal Foundation, emphasizing that Cambodia was rich in a centuries-old tradition for herbal care. Deputy Prime Minister Say Sam Al expressed his full support for the encouragement provided by Thnot d'Or to research, whether in the field of food production or in the pharmaceutical field. And, in his speech, he did not fail to encourage all students to "dream big" and "work diligently" to achieve their goals through hard work and research. “I encourage you all to have a dream and make it come true by studying hard and engaging in research,” he said, stressing the importance of dedication and innovation spirit to succeed.

“I came here to support the young talents of Cambodian society. And on behalf of His Excellency Hun Many, Prime Minister, I can say that we support initiatives [like Thnot d’Or Awards] and hope that, if possible, this competition will be extended to neighboring countries like Thailand, Laos and Vietnam,” he concluded.