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The farmer’s battlefield: traditional ecological knowledge and unexploded bombs in Cambodia

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  • Erin Lin

    (The Ohio State University)

  • Christine D. Sprunger

    (The Ohio State University)

  • Jyhjong Hwang

    (The Ohio State University)

Abstract

What role does traditional ecological knowledge play in the lives of smallholder farmers in post-conflict communities as they cope with the destructive impacts of war? In many cases, military weapons, such as unexploded bombs, are left behind in the surrounding landscape, forcing farmers to adapt their livelihood practices to the increased risk of death and injury. We analyze trends in the local production of knowledge in Ratanak Kiri province, Cambodia, an area heavily bombarded by the US Air Force during the Vietnam War. We argue that the system of traditional ecological knowledge has adapted to include basic information on bomb identification, location, and management strategies. This factual approach gives individuals the flexibility to generate their own views on whether they perceive unexploded ordnance as a violent hazard and/or an economic commodity. In a relatively short 50-year time period, the body of knowledge has been quickly accumulated and culturally transmitted to family and neighbors. Our findings suggest that traditional ecological knowledge should not be reduced to a static and ancient form of collective memory. We call for the expansion of the concept of traditional ecological knowledge to include short-term and dynamic processes of knowledge generation.

Suggested Citation

  • Erin Lin & Christine D. Sprunger & Jyhjong Hwang, 2021. "The farmer’s battlefield: traditional ecological knowledge and unexploded bombs in Cambodia," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 38(3), pages 827-837, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:agrhuv:v:38:y:2021:i:3:d:10.1007_s10460-021-10195-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s10460-021-10195-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lisa Hiwasaki & Emmanuel Luna & Syamsidik & José Marçal, 2015. "Local and indigenous knowledge on climate-related hazards of coastal and small island communities in Southeast Asia," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 128(1), pages 35-56, January.
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    6. Erin Lin & Rongjun Qin & Jared Edgerton & Deren Kong, 2020. "Crater detection from commercial satellite imagery to estimate unexploded ordnance in Cambodian agricultural land," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(3), pages 1-22, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sacha Amaruzaman & Douglas K. Bardsley & Randy Stringer, 2022. "Reflexive policies and the complex socio-ecological systems of the upland landscapes in Indonesia," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(2), pages 683-700, June.

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