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Contribution to Book
Cambodia: The Challenge of Adding Value to Agriculture after Conflict
Challenging Post-conflict Environments : Sustainable Agriculture (2012)
  • Sophal Ear, Occidental College
Abstract
Conflict can trap a country in poverty and economic stagnation. This chapter presents a case study of agriculture’s role in post-conflict Cambodia. Opportunities exist for improving rural livelihoods in Cambodia through the livestock sector. Even more promising is the rice sector, but only if rice milling (processing) can emerge and replace large unofficial exports of husked rice to neighbouring countries (primarily Vietnam). Value addition has not been Cambodia’s forte. Agriculture’s primacy is undeniable, given that it is the only sector capable of absorbing the 300,000 entrants joining the labour force each year. Agriculture is paramount to the Cambodian economy, accounting for 40 percent of GDP. To Cambodians, agriculture is not only a way of life but a tool to ensure survival. Unfortunately, investments (e.g. in markets, transport, processing) have been too few and far between to unleash the potential of the agriculture sector owing to weak state capacity and poor governance.
Disciplines
Publication Date
November, 2012
Editor
Alpaslan Özerdem and Rebecca Roberts
Publisher
Ashgate
ISBN
9781409434825
Citation Information
Sophal Ear. "Cambodia: The Challenge of Adding Value to Agriculture after Conflict" Farnham, UKChallenging Post-conflict Environments : Sustainable Agriculture (2012)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/sophal_ear/7/