ISA Lab

Background

Limited translation of agricultural research into practical and market-driven solutions remains a key challenge in Cambodia. While research institutions and universities generate valuable knowledge, many innovations do not move beyond pilot stages due to weak private-sector engagement and limited integration into business models.

Private enterprises are essential for scaling sustainable agriculture innovations, yet they are often not systematically involved in shaping research agendas or co-developing solutions. This creates a persistent gap between research and implementation. In order to address this, Swisscontact established the ISA Lab under the ISA Project as an applied research and innovation platform. It strengthens private-sector engagement by aligning research with real business challenges, piloting solutions with system actors, and creating clear pathways for commercialisation and market.

Objectives

ISA Lab is a research-for-development intervention under the ISA Project that serves as an applied research and innovation platform to strengthen private sector engagement in sustainable agriculture research. It addresses the “Valley of Death” between research and implementation by defining research questions based on the practical challenges faced by system actors and piloting solutions with a clear pathway for integration into their business models. ISA Lab promotes co-investment, supports the commercialisation of context-specific innovations, disseminates research findings to attract broader private sector involvement, and strengthens collaboration with local and international universities and research institutions.

Vision

A thriving agricultural innovation ecosystem in Cambodia where research, private enterprise, and institutions collaborate to turn knowledge into scalable, market-ready solutions.

ISA Lab in the Making

2021

Building Foundations Through Academic Partnerships

In 2021, ISA Lab began strengthening the link between academic research and field implementation through collaborations with international and local institutions. In partnership with the NADEL Center for Development and Cooperation at ETH Zurich, the Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture project hosted a Programme Associate who conducted a Conflict Sensitive Programme Management (CSPM) assessment focused on Cambodia’s agricultural and rural context. The same year, ISA partnered with the Bern University of Applied Sciences (HAFL) through its Field Assignment programme to conduct a study on the “Assessment of Livestock Integration into Agroecological Practices in Cambodia”. Together, these collaborations highlighted the value of applied research and technical exchange in advancing sustainable agriculture in Cambodia.

2022

Advancing Agroecology Research and Knowledge Exchange

Building on the previous year's academic partnership, a HAFL bachelor's student conducted a field study in Rattanak Mondoul district, Battambang Province, on "Cover Crops Implementation in Mango and Longan Orchards in Battambang Province, Cambodia." The research mapped the diversity of fruit tree farming systems through farmer surveys and explored the experiences of farmers adopting cover crops — capturing benefits, challenges, and opportunities for further support.A notable feature of this collaboration was the active involvement of a National University of Battambang (NUBB) student, who co-facilitated interviews and focus group discussions alongside the HAFL student. NUBB also provided local coordination and workspace, fostering meaningful knowledge exchange between international and local researchers.

2023

Developing Farmer Monitoring and Regeneration Assessment Tools

In 2023, a HAFL bachelor's student undertook a six-month internship and thesis assignment, turning attention toward farmer monitoring and agroecological assessment. The research supported the development of a replicable data collection and monitoring system for farmers under the DeiMeas system, analysing the diversity of farming and cropping systems and exploring farmer attitudes toward conservation agriculture.A key output was the development and testing of a "regeneration index", a practical tool to assess the adoption and performance of agroecological practices. ISA continued to engage NUBB students in this work, reinforcing the cross-institutional model of collaborative, field-based research.

2024

Strengthening Cover Crop Seed Systems for Agroecological Scaling

ISA hosted a HAFL master's student for a field assignment on "Strengthening Cover Crop Seed Value Chains to Scale Agroecology in Cambodia: A Battambang Case Study". Over two months, the student collaborated closely with ISA and the Cambodian Conservation Agriculture Research for Development Center (CARDEC) to gather field data across Battambang Province. Preliminary findings were presented at the first cover crop coordination meeting, bringing together key sector stakeholders to review, validate, and build on the research. The process strengthened coordination among actors working to develop a sustainable cover crop system in Cambodia.

2025

Assessing the Business Case for Regenerative Cashew Production

ISA welcomed a master's student from the University of Melbourne for a three-month capstone internship focused on a cost–benefit analysis of conventional versus regenerative agriculture in the cashew sector. The study examines traceability and agroecological practice costs across the value chain, evaluates viable processing scales, and explores incentive mechanisms to drive adoption among farmers and businesses.
The findings will directly inform business models and investment strategies under ISA's Cashew Intervention — an initiative promoting improved farm practices and farm-level traceability to expand market access and transparency for sustainable cashew production.

2026

Evaluating the Impact of Sustainable Mechanisation on Women Farmers

A student from Occidental College is undertaking a summer internship focused on knowledge management and communications. The internship centres on a case study examining machinery service provision under the SevaKasekor intervention, critically analysing whether access to sustainable agricultural machinery translates into meaningful outcomes for women-headed households including reductions in physical labour and working hours in the field, lower production costs and improved farm productivity, greater time for family care, and enhanced capacity to respond to climate-related challenges.