The article provides an insightful historical overview of agricultural change in Northwest Cambodia. The authors employ a political ecology approach to examine how power structures, land relations, and farming practices have evolved over several key periods in Cambodian history.
A new research paper by Dr. Tran Anh Thong, HAPRI's Senior Researcher.
The analysis spans from the Angkor era through French colonialism, the Khmer Rouge regime, and into the present day. Throughout these periods, the authors identify persistent patterns in how external actors and elites have sought to control agricultural production and rural populations. Whether under monarchs, colonial administrators, or present-day government officials, farming has often been oriented toward serving outside interests rather than benefiting smallholder farmers themselves.
A central theme that emerges is the enduring influence of patron-client networks in shaping agrarian relations. While the specific actors have changed over time, hierarchical power structures have remained a defining feature of rural Cambodia. The authors argue that contemporary agricultural development initiatives, including efforts to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, must reckon with this historical context.
The article highlights how land tenure systems, labor arrangements, and crop selection have shifted dramatically at various points in history. However, the underlying dynamic of external control over agricultural resources has remained relatively constant. Periods of collectivization and privatization alike have often reinforced existing inequalities.
Looking to the present day, the authors contend that agricultural extension programs aimed at increasing productivity are unlikely to significantly improve farmer livelihoods without addressing deeper structural issues. They advocate for approaches that engage more directly with farmers' lived experiences and social networks.
By situating current agrarian challenges within a broader historical trajectory, this analysis provides valuable perspective for policymakers and development practitioners. It underscores the need to grapple with entrenched power relations and path dependencies, rather than viewing agricultural development through a purely technical lens.
Ultimately, the authors call for more integrated, farmer-centered approaches that blur the lines between agricultural extension and rural development. They argue that achieving genuine progress on issues of food security and sustainable agriculture will require confronting difficult social and political realities that have long shaped farming in Northwest Cambodia.
Map of Northwest of Cambodia
This historically-grounded examination offers an important counterpoint to technocratic, market-oriented agricultural interventions. It highlights the value of understanding agrarian change as an ongoing social and political process, rather than a series of discrete technical innovations. For those engaged in agricultural development work in Cambodia and beyond, this article provides crucial context and food for thought.
KEYWORDS:
Agrarian change
Cambodia
Political ecology
Agricultural development
Citation:
Cook, B. R., Satizábal, P., Touch, V., McGregor, A., Diepart, J. C., Utomo, A., ... & Babon, A. (2024). Historical agrarian change and its connections to contemporary agricultural extension in northwest Cambodia. Critical Asian Studies, 56(1), 25-52. 10.1080/14672715.2023.2298430
Comments