1. Home
  2. Where we work
  3. Cambodia
  4. ISA Institutionalisation
  5. Research for Commercialisation

Research for Commercialisation 

Cambodia's agricultural sector holds significant untapped potential, yet a persistent gap between research, institutional capacity, and market application continues to limit its impact. Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture (ISA) Project addresses this challenge through two complementary and mutually reinforcing platforms: Bos Khnor Conservation Agriculture Research for Development Centre (CARDEC), which anchors the country's applied research infrastructure and agroecological expertise, and ISA Lab, which drives the translation of that research into practical, market-ready solutions through private-sector engagement and innovation.

Together, these platforms form a cohesive research-to-commercialisation ecosystem, building the knowledge, capacity, and commercial pathways needed to accelerate Cambodia's transition to sustainable agriculture.

Background

Cambodia's engagement with conservation agriculture dates back to 2004, when the first related research activities were introduced through the Crop Diversification and Smallholder Rubber Development Project (SRDP) Phase 2, funded by the French Agency for Development (AFD) and implemented by the General Directorate of Rubber of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in partnership with French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD). Over the following two decades, this work steadily built national capacity in conservation agriculture, supporting the testing of upland cropping systems and the development of a cover crop genetic bank in Bos Khnor commune, Kampong Cham Province.

This foundation has since evolved into Cambodian Conservation Agriculture Research for Development Centre (CARDEC), now being positioned as a Centre of Excellence for R4D in agroecology, with a five-year strategic roadmap endorsed by the Department of Agricultural Land Resources Management (DALRM).

Yet strong research infrastructure alone is insufficient to drive change at scale. Without systematic private-sector involvement, even the most promising innovations rarely reach the market. ISA Lab was established to bridge this gap, engaging businesses in co-developing solutions and creating structured pathways from research to commercialisation.

Partners

ISA Lab
ISA Lab is an applied research and innovation platform established under the Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture (ISA) Project to bridge the persistent gap between agricultural research and market-ready solutions in Cambodia. By systematically engaging private sector in co-defining research agendas and piloting context-specific innovations, ISA Lab creates structured pathways from discovery to commercialisation. Through co-investment, academic collaboration, and targeted dissemination, it strengthens the conditions for sustainable agriculture innovations to scale beyond pilot stages and integrate into viable business models.
Center of Excellence 
To promote Research for Development (R4D) on agroecology practices, strengthen research and agroecology skills and improve R4D infrastructure and capacity with the objective to accelerate the transition to Conservation Agriculture, the Bos Khnor Conservation Agriculture Research for Development Centre (CARDEC) will need to function as Centre of Excellence for R4D in the agroecology. A 5-year strategic roadmap of the Bos Khnor Center has been finalized with the support of Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD) and Swisscontact. The roadmap is the property of the Department of Land Resources Management (DALRM).