Roundtable

 

On 15 April 2009, the founding agent KEF organised a roundtable at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences (BOKU, Vienna) to discuss previous activities and preliminary outcomes and findings of Cambiodiversity. The panel was composed of Cambiodiversity representatives Dr. Angela Meyer and RUA-Dean Sophal Chuong, two invited Austrian experts, Prof. Dr. Ralph Gretzmacher (BOKU, Institute of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Vienna) and Prof. Dr. Rainer Haas (BOKU, Department of Economic and Social Sciences, Vienna). The roundtable was chaired by KEF Chairman Prof. Dr. Gerhard Glatzel (BOKU, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Vienna).

First photo from left to right: Dr. Angela Meyer, RUA-Dean Sophal Chuong, Prof. Dr. Rainer Haas, Prof. Dr. Ralph Gretzmacher / Second photo from left to right: RUA-Dean Sophal Chuong, Prof. Dr. Rainer Haas, Prof. Dr. Ralph Gretzmacher

 

 

The roundtable was opened by a presentation of the panel and some introducing remarks by Prof. Dr. Glatzel and started with two presentations given by Angela Meyer on the project itself (outline, aims, activities, expected outcomes) and by Sophal Chuong on the current situation and challenges of Cambodia's agriculture and some preliminary outcomes from the conducted interviews and assessment activities.

Photo on the right: KEF Chairman Prof. Gerhard Glatzel

 

 

The panel experts and the audience were then invited to ask questions and give comments. The roundtable's audience was mainly composed of Austrian and international students. Major raised issues included:

  • the issue of water shortage and lacking irrigation systems that currently hinder the repeated cultivation of rice fields;
  • the possibility of crop rotation and examples from other countries in the region that might be followed (e.g. peanuts in Thailand grown during the wet season);
  • the role of policy makers and other stakeholders and the problem of effective implementation of agreed policies and strategies;
  • the problem of instable markets and the risk of insecure income as barriers for agro-diversification in Cambodia (example of Cassava that has been grown by Cambodian farmers in response to the increased demand of the previous year, largely due to the use of Cassava as biofuel to compensate the high oil prices. After the decrease of demand for and price of Cassava, many farmers witnessed a severe income loss and returned back to rice cultivation.)

Photo on the left: Dr. Angela Meyer and Prof. Dr. Rainer Haas


Download the folder of the Roundtable