Essartage et riziculture humide. Complémentarité des écosystèmes agraires à Stung Treng au début du XXe siècle

At the beginning of the 20th century, wet-paddy cultivation and swidden were the primary forms of agriculture in Stung Treng (Cambodia), with swidden being practiced by indigenous groups and wet-paddy cultivation by the ethnic Lao and Khmer. Archives stored in Phnom Penh show that the disparate but complementary nature of these agro-systems allowed a trade system to develop which promoted cash income and significantly reduced the risk of famine for all ethnic groups. However, a common perception of the Khmer and French rulers was that wet-paddy cultivation is an economically superior practice as compared to swidden, failing to understand that swidden yielded better harvests over time. This misconception led to inapropriate policies and taxation.Guérin Mathieu. Essartage et riziculture humide. Complémentarité des écosystèmes agraires à Stung Treng au début du XXe siècle. In: Aséanie 8, 2001. pp. 35-55