Cassava-based Conservation Agriculture (CA) systems in Cambodia’s upland areas provide evidence of how long-term changes in land management can influence soil carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This 2024 research examines soil organic carbon sequestration under CA, finding that managed soils can act as carbon sinks. The results connect agricultural practices with soil health and climate change mitigation, while also considering their relevance to Cambodia’s food security objectives.

The research focuses on the capacity of long-term CA systems to store carbon in soils and examines their associated GHG emissions. The findings indicate that conservation agriculture can improve soil organic carbon stocks, providing evidence for its potential contribution to carbon neutrality and sustainable land management. The resource also highlights links with carbon markets and emphasizes that enabling policies would be needed to support the wider adoption of these practices.

The work brings together researchers from Cambodia and international partners, with contributions from CIRAD and Cambodia’s General Directorate of Agriculture/Department of Agricultural Resources Management (GDA/DARM). By documenting the environmental effects of long-term cassava-based CA systems, the research provides a scientific basis for considering soil carbon management within agricultural and climate strategies and for assessing how conservation agriculture could contribute to climate mitigation while maintaining productive upland farming systems.