From December 9 to 13, 2013 more than 160 administrators, farmers, scientists and students  gathered in Battambang, Cambodia for the 4th International Conference on Conservation Agriculture in Southeast Asia. From all parts of the world, these agriculturalists discussed how to produce more while preserving ecosystem services across different subject matters such as soil health, gender, agricultural technology, and more.

The conference was held at the modern University of Battambang, a leader in agricultural education in Southeast Asia. Among the distinguished guests was Dr. Waded Cruzado, president of Montana State University – Bozeman and a member of the prestigious Board on International Food and Agricultural Development. Dr. Cruzado gave the keynote speech at the conference, which can be accessed by viewing the video above.

The Feed the Future SANREM Innovation Lab co-sponsored the conference which was attended by four SANREM principal investigators, host-country collaborators, SANREM-funded students, Director Adrian Ares, and Assistant Director Jennifer Himmelstein. Additionally, SANREM premiered a new film about SANREM’s work in Cambodia, which explored why the agroecological and cultural factors in Cambodia point to using conservation agriculture as key for improving food security in the country.

Between thoughtful research presentations, rousing speeches, and multimedia components, the 4th International Conference on Conservation Agriculture in Southeast Asia was both a celebration and a reflection about the value of conservation agriculture.

For more, check out the conference program here. Also follow SANREM’s Twitter account to keep up with the conference attendees while they are still in Cambodia. Finally, the conference website is here.