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Rubber Plantation Development in Cambodia: A Cost-Benefit Analysis

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Abstract

This study focuses on several new policy instruments introduced by the Government of Cambodia to encourage changes in land use, especially a shift away from existing uses to smallholder rubber plantations. A cost-benefit analysis is conducted for two land conversion schemes: first, the conversion of forestland to large-scale rubber plantations in Tumring Commune, Sandan District, Kampong Thom Province, and second, the conversion of crop production to smallholder rubber plantations in several districts of Kampong Cham Province. Five specific options were evaluated. The results of the cost-benefit analysis show clearly that the conversion from crop production (maize, soybean, cassava, and cashew) to smallholder rubber plantation provides the largest benefit to farmers involved in those conversion schemes. The conversion of forestland into large-scale rubber plantation ranks last in economic terms. Sensitivity analyses demonstrate that despite varying key basic assumptions, the ranking of all crops and forest conversion schemes remains unchanged.

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Correspondence to Dararath Yem .

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© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore

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Yem, D., Top, N., Lic, V. (2015). Rubber Plantation Development in Cambodia: A Cost-Benefit Analysis. In: James, D., Francisco, H. (eds) Cost-Benefit Studies of Natural Resource Management in Southeast Asia. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-393-4_7

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