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Government policy and private sector development in post-conflict states: Growing Cambodia’s rice production and export industries

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

Mark Turner ,
Ribaun Korm  and
Kim Veara
Mark Turner*
Affiliation:
UNSW Canberra, Australia
Ribaun Korm
Affiliation:
National Committee for the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Cambodia
Kim Veara
Affiliation:
Royal University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia
*
Mark Turner, School of Business, UNSW Canberra, Northcott Drive, Campbell, ACT 2612, Australia. Email: M.Turner@adfa.edu.au
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Abstract

This article deals with the rehabilitation of economies in post-conflict states, paying particular attention to the role played by the state in this process. Using the example of Cambodia and its policies on rice production and export, the article shows the prominent role that may be played by the state in prioritised areas of economic development where there has been market failure. In the Cambodian case, the government targeted rice production and export as these had great potential for promoting the major aims of national development policy – economic growth and poverty alleviation. Using a whole-of-government approach and a combination of direct involvement and the creation of an enabling environment, the government appears to have contributed to vastly increased rice production and export.

Keywords

D22H11O13O43Q17Agricultural developmentAsian development stateCambodiaeconomic developmentmarket failurepost-conflict statespoverty alleviationrice production and marketing
Type
Articles
Information
The Economic and Labour Relations Review , Volume 28 , Issue 2: Industry policies, financialisation and globalisation , June 2017 , pp. 252 - 269
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2017

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