Agroecology crop protection for sustainable cashew production and One Health

Phanith Chou is an Agricultural and Environmental Economist at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, collaborating with the Centre for Policy Futures at The University of Queensland on a One Health and Agricultural Inputs project. He is also actively involved in other One Health initiatives focused on agricultural and forest landscapes, supported by ACIAR and IDRC. He will be visiting under the Australia-France Indo-Pacific Studies Program (AFIPS) to share his research findings on sustainable agriculture and environmental health in Cambodia.

Presented by Dr Phanith Chou, this webinar presents preliminary findings from a case study on agroecology crop protection for sustainable cashew production and One Health. Associate Professor Chris Jacobson, UQ's Centre for Policy Futures, will join Phanith as a discussant.

Cashew has been strongly promoted by the Royal Government of Cambodia with the ambition of becoming a leading global exporter. However, this expansion raises concerns about the conversion of forest areas into plantations, as well as the increased use of agricultural inputs that may pose risks to both human and environmental health. This case study highlights the potential for scaling up the approach of nature-based solutions using weaver ants as a form of agroecological crop protection at a broader level, alongside the constraints associated with its adoption.