FAO COUNTRY PROGRAMMING FRAMEWORK

FOR LAO PDR 2013-2015

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS

MINSTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY, GOVERNMENT OF LAO PDR

December 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Foreword v

Abbreviations and Acronyms vi

Executive Summary x

1. INTRODUCTION

1

PART I: NATIONAL CONTEXT

2

2. SITUATION ANALYSIS 2

2.1 Introduction 2 2.2 Situation and Outlook 6 2.3 Government Policies and National Priorities 10 2.4 Governance System 11

3. DEVELOPMENT CONSTRAINTS AND GAPS

13 3.1 Sectoral Issues 13

3.1.1 Low Agricultural Productivity 13 3.1.2 Weak Implementation Capacity 13 3.1.3 Inadequate Information Flows 14 3.1.4 Constraints on Agricultural Trade 15 3.1.5 Potential for Organic Agriculture 17 3.1.6 Potential for Green Value Chains 18 3.1.7 Challenges in Natural Resource Management 18 3.1.8 Concerns regarding Concession Agriculture 20

3.2 Cross-Sectoral Issues 21 3.2.1 Food Insecurity 21 3.2.2 Low Food Safety Standards 22 3.2.3 Gender Inequities 23 3.2.4 Unemployment, Underemployment and Poverty 23 3.2.5 Risk and Vulnerability 24 3.2.6 Climate Change 24

3.3 Conclusions

25

PART 11: PROGRAMMING FOR RESULTS 25

4. FAO IN LAO PDR 25

4.1 A Brief Overview of FAO in Lao PDR 26

4.2 Coherence with United National Development Assistance Framework

(UNDAF) 27

5. CPF PRIORITY AREAS

28

5.1 CPF Priority Area 1: Improved food and nutritional security through

enhanced policy, planning and implementation 28

5.2 CPF Priority Area 2: Environmentally sustainable production for the market 29

ii

by small farmers using value chain approach

5.3 CPF Priority Area 3: Sustainable natural resource management for crops,

forests, fisheries and livestock

31

5.4 CPF Priority Area 4: Reduced risk and vulnerability to natural and other

disasters through prevention, preparedness, response and recovery

32

6. PRIORITY OUTCOMES AND OUTPUTS 34

6.1 PRIORITY OUTCOME 1 Effective policy instruments and mechanisms for

attaining national food and nutrition security goals are designed and deployed

34

6.1.1 Priority Output 1.1 A national food and nutrition security strategy,

policy, investment plan and its governance framework developed

34

6.1.2 Priority Output 1.2 M&E system for MAF developed in support of

effective monitoring and implementation of projects strengthened

6.1.3 Priority Output 1.3 Enhanced institutional and government staff

capacity for the design and use of the Integrated Food Security Phase

Classification (IPC) for better planning and response with FNS-related

interventions

6.1.4 Priority Output 1.4 Strengthened institutional and staff capacity to

analyse and produce quality and timely FNS statistics in support of better

informed policies and actions

6.1.5 Priority Output 1.5 Support to small-scale, gender-sensitive food

security and livelihood-oriented agricultural programmes for vulnerable

farm households through distribution of inputs, transfer of technologies and

best practices, including traditional knowledge

36

36

37

38

6.2 PRIORITY OUTCOME 2. Strengthened enabling regulatory and

institutional environment for improved access of smallholder farmers to

agricultural markets

39

6.2.1 Priority Output 2. 1 SPS-related legal framework further developed in

compliance with international standards

39

6.2.2 Priority Output 2.2 Improved inspection and testing regime at all

points of AVC to meet Codex standards

40

6.2.3 Priority Output 2.3 Strengthened institutional and technical capacity

in the control and management of FMD and other TAD

41

6.2.4 Priority Output 2.4 Strengthened legal and regulatory framework for

agricultural inputs to promote organic agriculture and GAP

43

6.2.5 Priority Output 2.5 Farmers trained to produce GAP/IPM-certified

agricultural products and farmer-market linkages developed

43

6.2.6 Priority Output 2.6 Institutional and individual capacities of AVC

actors (public, private groups, farmer groups) enhanced in the adoption of

sustainable and innovative approaches and practices to support the greening

of selected AVC, including post-harvest handling and processing, market

linkages and logistics

44

6.3 PRIORITY OUTCOME 3. Strengthened governance – policies, laws,

strategies and community participation for sustainable management of land,

forestry, and fisheries and aquaculture resources

45

6.3.1 Priority Output 3.1 Concession agriculture rationalized within a

general land tenure policy framework and regulations

45

iii

6.3.2 Priority Output 3.2 Capacity for participatory land and other natural

resources management at the local level improved through promotion and

use of field-tested, gender-sensitive, participatory development tools and

approaches

46

6.3.3 Priority Output 3.3 Enhanced ability of communities and the

government stakeholders for inclusive community- based forest

management

47

6.3.4 Priority Output 3.4 Enhanced capacity of communities, local and

central administration in design, prioritization and implementation of

climate change adaptation and disaster management measures in targeted

wetlands

6.3.5 Priority Output 3.5 An implementation strategy for capture fisheries

and aquaculture developed

49

52

6.4 PRIORITY OUTCOME 4. Enhanced capacity of government and

communities to adapt to and mitigate climate change and reduce natural

disaster vulnerabilities related to agriculture, forestry and fisheries

52

6.4.1 Priority Output 4.1 Enhanced capacity of relevant stakeholders to

mainstream DRRM approaches into specific sectoral (agriculture, forestry,

fisheries) and cross-sectoral (nutrition, food security, food safety) plans,

policies and legal frameworks

52

6.4.2 Priority Output 4.2 Developed institutional and technical staff

capacity at national, provincial and district levels for agroclimatic

monitoring, analysing and disseminating information related to climate

variability and its impact on the agriculture sector

53

6.4.3 Priority Output 4.3 Enhanced capacity of communities in the

identification, use and dissemination of location- specific and gender-

sensitive DRRM practices and technologies in the area of agriculture,

aquaculture, fisheries, animal husbandry and NTFPs (through FFS and

enhanced research-extension-farmer interaction)

55

6.4.4 Priority Output 4.4 Enhanced institutional and technical capacity to

effectively and accountably manage food security and agriculture crises –

from disaster preparedness through emergency response to post-recovery

56

PART III: IMPLEMENTATION AND RESOURCE MOBILIZATION 60

7. IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS 60

71. Implementation principles 60

7.2 Implementation mechanism 60

7.3 Short-term implementation plan 60

7.4 Funding modalities

61

8. PARTNERSHIPS 62

9. MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING ARRANGEMENTS

62

REFERENCES

65

iv

LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

1 Global Hunger Index in ASEAN Countries, 1990-2012 (ranked by 2012

GHI)

5

2 Priority Areas and Priority Outcomes of the CPF 34

3 Priority Areas, Priority Outcomes and Priority Outputs of the Country

Programming Framework

58

4 UN Partner Agencies for UNDAF and the CPF 63

LIST OF BOXES

Box Page 1 FAO’s Reviewed Strategic Objectives, 2009-2019 26

2 FAO’s Priorities for the Asia-Pacific Region, 2010-2019 26

LIST OF ANNEXES

Annex Page

1 Review of Major Programmes, Laws and Policies in FAO-Mandated

Areas in Lao PDR

72

2 Distribution of Government Expenditure across its Four Priority Sectors 83

3 Past and Ongoing Activities of FAO in Lao PDR 84

4 The CPF Priority Matrix 95

5 Country-Level Comparative Advantages of FAO and Other Development

Partners

97

6 Relationship between FAO Strategic Objectives/Organizational Outcomes

and the Priority Outcomes of the CPF for Lao PDR

104

7 The CPF Results Matrix 106

8 The CPF Action Plan 114

v

FOREWORD

The Government of Lao PDR (GOL) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United

Nations (FAO), represented by its Representative in Lao PDR (FAOR), are pleased to jointly launch

the FAO Country Programming Framework (CPF) for Lao PDR for the period 2013-2015, as

stipulated hereunder.

The CPF 2013-2015 is the result of extensive consultations held with a wide range of stakeholders

and partners within the country as well as with the relevant technical units of FAO Headquarters in

Rome and the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (FAO-RAP) in Bangkok. The signatories

below express sincere appreciation to all those who made constructive comments and suggestions

throughout the consultative process.

This document, co-owned by the GOL and FAO, presents the broad commitment of FAO, subject to

the availability of the required funding, to assist the GOL in its efforts to achieve development

objectives articulated in recent strategy and national policy frameworks for agriculture. It also

complements and contributes to the strategic objectives of the UN common system as expressed in the

current UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) for Lao PDR.

By endorsing the CPF, the GOL is committed to providing collaboration, to the fullest possible extent

with regard to available capacity and resources, to facilitate the achievement of the objectives and

actions proposed in this document.

The implementation of the CPF will be pursued in partnerships as broad as possible and in alignment

with the joint efforts of the GOL and its development partners for enhanced coordination and aid

effectiveness. The GOL and FAO look forward to seeking collaboration and support from concerned

partners vis-à-vis the successful implementation of the CPF 2013-2015.

For the Government of the People’s

Democratic Republic of Laos

For the Food and Agriculture Organization

of the United Nations

Name:

Title:

Name:

Title:

vi

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

ADB Asian Development Bank

ADS Agricultural Development Strategy

AEC ASEAN Economic Community

AFD Agence Française de Développment

AFTA ASEAN Free Trade Area

AIP Agricultural Investment Plan

AMP Agricultural Master Plan

AMS Agro-Meteorology System

ANR Assisted Natural Regeneration

ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations

AU$ Australian dollars

AusAID Australian Agency for International Development

AVC Agricultural Value Chain

CA Conservation Agriculture

CBED Community-Based Enterprise Development

CC Climate Change

CPF Country Programming Framework

CSO Civil Society Organization

CU2 Children Under Two Years Old

CU5 Children Under Five Years Old

CFS Committee on World Food Security

DAEC Department of Agricultural Extension and Cooperatives (MAF)

DAFO District Agriculture and Forestry Office

DEC Dietary Energy Consumption

DMH Department of Hydrology and Meteorology

DLF Department of Livestock and Fisheries (MAF)

DoA Department of Agriculture (MAF)

DoF Department of Forestry (MAF)

DoI Department of Irrigation (MAF)

DoPC Department of Planning and Cooperation (MAF)

DRM Disaster Risk Management

DRR Disaster Risk Reduction

DRRM Disaster Risk Reduction Management

EC European Commission

EFA Essential Fatty Acid

FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

FAO-RAP FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

FAOSTAT FAO Statistical Database

FAOR FAO Representative

FBS Food Balance Sheet

FDI Foreign Direct Investment

FFS Farmers’ Field School

FIM Forest Information Management

FIVIMS Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and Mapping System

FLEGT Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade

FMD Foot-and-Mouth Disease

FMM FAO Multi-Partner Programme Support Mechanism

FMU Forest Management Unit

FNS Food and Nutritional Security

FS2020 Forestry Strategy 2020

FSCAP Forest Sector Capacity Development Project

vii

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

GAP Good Agricultural Practice

GCCA Global Climate Change Alliance Programme

GDG Gender Development Group

GEF Global Environment Facility

GDP Gross Domestic Product

GHI Global Hunger Index

GIS Geographical Information Systems

GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (German Agency for

International Cooperation)

GMP Good Manufacturing Practice

GMS Greater Mekong Subregion

GOL Government of Lao PDR

GPO Good Practice Options

Ha hectare(s)

HACCP Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point

HPAI Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

IADGs Internationally Agreed Development Goals

IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development

IBSA India Brazil and South Africa Trust Fund

IFAD International Fund for Agriculture Development

IGETI Integrating Gender Equity in Territorial Issues

ILO International Labour Organization

IOM International Organization for Migration

IPC Integrated Food Security Phase Classification

IPPC International Plant Protection Convention

IPM Integrated Pest Management

IRRI International Rice Research Institute

ITC International Trade Centre

IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature

JFPR Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction

JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency

JSDF Japan Social Development Fund

LECS4 Lao Expenditure and Consumption Survey IV

LFAP Land and Forest Allocation Programme

LFNR Lao Front for National Reconstruction

LIPS Livelihood Improvement Project for Southern Mountainous Area

LPRP Lao People’s Revolutionary Party

LSIS Lao Social Indicatory Survey

M&E Monitoring and Evaluation

MA&D Market Analysis and Development

MAF Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

MEA Multilateral Environmental Agreements

MEM Ministry of Energy and Mines

MDG Millennium Development Goal

MDG1 First Millennium Development Goal

MICS Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys

MIS Management Information System

MLSW Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare

MOE Ministry of Education

MOH Ministry of Health

MOHA Ministry of Home Affairs

MOIC Ministry of Industry and Commerce

MOJ Ministry of Justice

viii

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

MONRE Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

MPI Ministry of Planning and Investment

MPWT Ministry of Public Works and Transport

MRC Mekong River Commission

MT Metric tonne

NABP National Agricultural Biodiversity Programme

NACA Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific

NAFES National Agriculture and Forestry Extension Service

NAFRI National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute

NAPA National Adaptation Programme of Action to Climate Change

NBS/AP National Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 and Action Plan to 2010

NCAW National Commission for the Advancement of Women

NCRDPE National Committee for Rural Development and Poverty Eradication

NCSA National Capacity Self-Assessment

NHS National Household Survey

NDMC National Disaster Management Committee

NDMO National Disaster Management Office

NGO Non-Governmental Organization

NGPES National Growth and Poverty Eradication Strategy

NLMA National Land Management Authority

NMTPF National Medium-term Priority Framework

NNC National Nutrition Commission

NNP National Nutrition Policy

NNS/PoA National Nutrition Strategy and Plan of Action

NPA Non-Profit Association

NRM Natural Resource Management

NSEDP National Socio-Economic Development Plan

NTFP Non-Timber Forest products

NUDP Northern Uplands Development Programme

NUOL National University of Laos

OA Organic Agriculture

ODA Overseas Development Assistance

OHCHR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

PAREDD Participatory Land and Forest Management Project for Reducing Deforestation

PAFO Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office

PDR People’s Democratic Republic

PM Prime Minister’s Instruction

PNTD Participatory Negotiated Territorial Development

POP Persistent organic pollutant

PoWPA Programme of Work on Protected Areas

PROFIL Promotion of Organic Farming in Lao PDR

PROSA Programme Sectoriel en Agroécologie (an AFD assistance project)

PRRS Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome

REDD+ Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation

RVS Risk and Vulnerability Survey

SCC Strategy on Climate Change of the Lao PDR

SD Strategic Direction

SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

SDNSS Strategy for the Development of the National Statistical System

SEAHMI Subregional environmental animal health management initiative for enhances

smallholder production in Southeast Asia

SME Small and Medium Enterprise

SNV Netherlands Development Organization

ix

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

SO Strategic Objective

SPS Sanitary and Phytosanitary

SUN Scaling-up Nutrition

SuNPAM Sustainable Management of National Protected Area Project

TAD Trans-boundary animal disease

TCP Technical Cooperation Programmes

TDF-1 Trade Development Facility Phase 1

TWG Technical Working Group

UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

UNDAF United Nations Development Assistance Framework

UNDP United Nations Development Programme

UDIN Integrated Upland Development in Nonghet

UN-AIDS Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS

UNCDF United Nations Capital Development Fund

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

UNFPA United Nations Population Fund

UN-Habitat United Nations Human Settlements Programme

UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund

UNICRI United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization

UNISDR United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

UNV United Nations Volunteers

USAID United States Agency for International Development.

USD United States Dollars

UXO Unexploded Ordnance

VG Voluntary Guidelines

WATSAN Water and Sanitation

WB World Bank

WFP World Food Programme

WFS World Food Summit

WHO World Health Organization

WREA Water Resource and Environment Administration

WTO World Trade Organization

x

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Country Programming Framework (CPF) is the tool used by the Food and Agriculture

Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to define its medium-term response to the assistance needs

of member countries in pursuit of national development objectives that are consistent with the FAO

Strategic Framework and Regional Priorities, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other

Internationally Agreed Development Goals (IADGs) and strategic objectives of the United Nations

Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). It replaces the National Medium-term Priority

Framework (NMTPF) as the FAO planning instrument. The CPF for the Lao People’s Democratic

Republic (Lao PDR) outlines the joint Government of Lao PDR (GOL) and FAO medium-term

priorities for FAO’s technical assistance over the period 2013-2015. It was formulated by a joint

national and international team through a process of literature review, semi-structured interviews with

key resource persons from GOL, FAO, other UN agencies, other development partners and civil

society. Successive drafts of the document have benefited from the comments of GOL and FAO’s

national, regional and headquarters offices.

The CPF begins with a situation analysis, which first examines key features and trends of the

economy, outlining a considerable degree of success on both economic and social fronts, including

impressive economic growth and progress on poverty reduction; the country is assessed as being

“well on track” or having “already achieved this target” to meet the MDG on poverty (UNDP, 2013).

However, on the negative side, high levels of poverty reduction have not translated into significant

reductions in the country’s seriously high levels of food insecurity and undernutrition, and Lao PDR

is assessed as being “seriously off track” in terms of meeting the MDG on hunger. Most diets are

seriously deficient in micronutrients, while intake of macronutrients is unbalanced because dietary

energy consumption is dominated by rice, while protein intake is below requirements and

consumption of fats and edible oils is seriously deficient. Moreover, impressive aggregate

performance in the area of poverty reduction disguises serious and growing income inequality,

particularly in terms of gender, ethnicity and location. Meanwhile, MDG targets on reversing

environmental loss and reducing the rate of biodiversity loss are also assessed as being “seriously off

track”.

Agriculture dominates the economy, and while the agricultural growth rate is higher than that of the

population, this is largely explained by rapid expansion of concession agriculture which includes

industrial tree plantations such as rubber and eucalyptus. Eighty percent of farmers are still

subsistence producers, and their production is dominated by rice. Rice has been an important success

story in Lao PDR, with rapid growth transforming the country from a net importer to a significant

exporter during the past two decades. However, other developments have had negative consequences

for dietary balance. Concession agriculture has denied local populations access to traditional sources

of income and nutrient-rich foods from communally owned resources, particularly forests. Similar

concerns have been expressed regarding the effect of water diversion projects on the aquatic

environment, even though large-scale hydropower dam construction is subject to environmental

impact assessments. The horticulture, livestock and fisheries subsectors all suffer from low

productivity. Some vegetables are grown under irrigation, but most available water is used for rice. In

aquaculture there are problems such as lack of access to high quality fish feed and fingerlings outside

of the most accessible areas. Veterinary provision is low, animal disease outbreaks are common,

animal mortality rates are high and feed provision is problematic.

The GOL has adopted a wide range of policies at the national, sectoral, subsectoral and cross-sectoral

levels in response to these challenges. The country’s overarching development goals are to reduce

xi

poverty, achieve growth with equity and meet the MDGs, with the aim of graduating from the “Least

Developed” category of countries by 2020. Key challenges recognized in the current five-year 7th

National Socio-Economic Development Plan (2011-2015) include the need for a “more visible shift”

of employment from farm to non-farm sectors, addressing environmental issues and mitigating the

impact of climate change. One of the seven “directions” of the Plan addresses rural development and

poverty eradication, the aim being to reduce income inequalities between rural and urban areas,

between geographical areas and between rich and poor. In 2011 the Ministry of Agriculture and

Forestry (MAF) adopted a Strategy for Agricultural Development to 2020. This lays out four

developmental goals, namely: (i) improvement of livelihoods through agriculture and livestock, with

food security as its first priority; (ii) increased and modernized production of agricultural commodities

and “pro-poor green value chains” based on smallholders’ organizations and partnering with the

private sector; (iii) sustainable production patterns, including stabilization of shifting cultivation and

climate change adaptation measures adapted to local agro-ecological conditions; and (iv) sustainable

forest management to preserve biodiversity and significantly increase forest cover to benefit rural

communities and public and private processing enterprises.

A wide array of constraints and gaps hinder poverty reduction and the attainment of food and

nutritional security in Lao PDR. At the level of food availability a key constraint is low agricultural

productivity. One of the reasons this persists is that, while the country is rich in policies, it is

unusually weak in terms of policy implementation capacity, with a seriously under-resourced

extension system, an underdeveloped private sector, and weak civil society. Another factor

constraining efforts to address outstanding problems is that agricultural information systems are at

best nascent. A corollary of subsistence orientation is that agricultural trade is underdeveloped, and

the country is poorly placed to meet the challenges of either competing with imported produce from

neighbouring countries, or meeting the increasingly high quality (including food safety) standards

demanded by importing countries. The country has comparative advantage in a number of areas, such

as organic agriculture, but lack of technical and knowledge capacity constrains its ability to capitalize

on this by meeting the necessary standards. Natural resource management and governance is a huge

problem area, with serious issues in such areas as deforestation, forest degradation, aquatic resource

degradation and loss of biodiversity. The policy of giving out agricultural concessions to foreign

direct investment (FDI) has boosted agricultural exports, but has also added greatly to problems of

land and forest depletion and degradation and land-related conflicts. At the social level, gender

inequality is rife and unemployment – particularly youth unemployment – is growing. All of these

challenges are exacerbated by the fact that Lao PDR is very vulnerable to disasters, including weather

events such as typhoons, flooding and droughts, rodent and pest attacks, and animal disease

epidemics. Weather-related risks pose the most widespread problems and the frequency and intensity

of these problems is likely to increase as a consequence of climate change.

FAO has a global and regional mandate to address issues such as those outlined above and to assist

governments in areas such as policy formulation, capacity building and policy implementation. FAO

has been operational in Lao PDR since 1975 and has had an in-country Representative Office since

1980. During this period it has worked closely with GOL and other development partners to

implement a wide range of interventions in agricultural development (including livestock, fisheries

and forestry), food and nutritional security, natural resource management, and improving information

flows. The CPF aims to build on these experiences in close collaboration with GOL.

The CPF formulation process has identified four priority areas in which FAO should work with GOL

in the medium term. These are based on a careful balancing of: (i) the issues identified above; (ii)

Government policy; (iii) FAO’s comparative advantage and its global and regional priorities; and (iv)

the UNDAF for Lao PDR. The priority areas are:

xii

Improved food and nutritional security through enhanced policy, planning and implementation

mechanisms

Environmentally sustainable production for the market by small farmers using a value chain

approach

Sustainable natural resource management for crops, forests, fisheries and livestock

Reduced risk and vulnerability to natural and other disasters through prevention, preparedness,

response and recovery

Areas such as gender and youth employment are not listed as such among the priority areas, because

they are overarching themes which will be central to activities, outputs and outcomes of all priority

areas. However, capacity development, which includes gender aspects, is given specific attention due

to the serious limitations noted above. It will form a key part of all outputs and activities under CPF

implementation.

From the four priority areas, four priority outcomes and 20 priority outputs have been derived. Each

of the outputs is analysed from the viewpoints of rationale (i.e. why it is a priority) and relevance to

government policies and a set of supporting activities is given. The outcomes are as follows.

1. Effective policy instruments and mechanisms for attaining national food and nutrition

security goals are designed and deployed. There are five outputs under this outcome:

A national food security strategy and plan of action and its governance framework

developed

M&E system in MAF developed for effective monitoring and implementation of

projects strengthened

Enhanced institutional and government staff capacity for the design and use of the

Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) for better planning and response

with Food and Nutritional Security (FNS)-related interventions

Strengthened institutional and staff capacity to analyse and produce quality and

timely FNS statistics in support of better informed policies and actions

Support to small-scale, gender-sensitive food security and livelihood-oriented

agricultural programmes for vulnerable farm households through distribution of

inputs, transfer of technologies and best practices, including traditional knowledge

2. Strengthened enabling regulatory and institutional environment for improved access of

smallholder farmers to agricultural markets. There are six outputs under this outcome:

Sanitary and phytosanitary-related legal framework further developed in compliance

with international standards

Improved inspection and testing regime at all points of agricultural value chain

(AVC) to meet Codex standards

Strengthened institutional and technical capacity in the control and management of

foot and mouth disease (FMD) and other trans-boundary animal disease (TAD)

Strengthened legal and regulatory framework for agricultural inputs to promote

organic agriculture and Good Agricultural Practice (GAP)

Farmers trained to produce GAP/integrated pest management (IPM)-certified

agricultural products and farmer-market linkages developed

Institutional and individual capacities of AVC actors (public, private groups, farmer

groups) enhanced in the adoption of sustainable and innovative approaches and

practices to support the greening of selected AVC, including post-harvest handling

and processing, market linkages and logistics

xiii

3. Strengthened governance – policies, laws, strategies and community participation for

sustainable management of land, forestry, and fisheries and aquaculture resources.

There are five outputs under this outcome:

Concession agriculture rationalized within a general land tenure policy framework and

regulations

Capacity for participatory land and other natural resources management at the local level

improved through promotion and use of field-tested, gender-sensitive, participatory

development tools and approaches

Enhanced ability of communities and the government stakeholders for inclusive

community-based forest management

Enhanced capacity of communities, local and central administration in design,

prioritization and implementation of climate change adaptation and disaster management

measures in targeted wetlands

An implementation strategy for capture fisheries and aquaculture developed

4. Enhanced capacity of government and communities to adapt to and mitigate climate

change and reduce natural disaster vulnerabilities related to agriculture, forestry and

fisheries. There are 4 outputs under this outcome:

Enhanced capacity of relevant stakeholders to mainstream disaster risk reduction and

management (DRRM) approaches into specific sectoral (agriculture, forestry, fisheries)

and cross-sectoral (nutrition, food security, food safety) plans, policies and legal

frameworks

Developed institutional and technical staff capacity at national, provincial and district

level for agroclimatic monitoring, analysing and disseminating information related to

climate variability and its impact on the agriculture sector

Enhanced capacity of communities in the identification, use and dissemination of

location-specific and gender-sensitive DRRM practices and technologies in the areas of

agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, animal husbandry and non-timber forest products

(NTFPs) (through farmers field schools (FFS) and enhanced research-extension-farmer

interaction)

Enhanced institutional and technical capacity to effectively and accountably manage food

security and agriculture crises – from disaster preparedness through emergency response

to post-recovery

Implementation of the CPF will be guided by a set of principles, namely: alignment with national

priorities; adoption of a programming approach in collaboration with government and other

development partners; mutual accountability and transparency; centrality of the overarching theme of

capacity-building; gender mainstreaming; decent employment and poverty reduction; and the

incorporation of sustainability and a viable exit strategy into all interventions. CPF implementation

will be under a Steering Committee co-chaired by MAF and FAO and draw its membership from

relevant stakeholders. A short-term implementation plan will be developed, an important focus of

which will be resource mobilization. All activities under the CPF and the CPF itself will be carefully

monitored, while mid-term and end-of-programme reviews will discern key lessons to be incorporated

into the next CPF.

1. INTRODUCTION

The Country Programming Framework (CPF) is the tool and process used by the Food and

Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to define the medium-term response to the

assistance needs of member countries in pursuit of national development objectives that are consistent

with the FAO Strategic Framework and Regional Priorities, the Millennium Development Goals

(MDGs) and other Internationally Agreed Development Goals (IADGs), and strategic objectives of

the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). It replaces the National Medium-

term Priority Framework (NMTPF) as the FAO planning instrument. The CPF outlines the priorities

for collaboration between FAO and the government and the outcomes to be achieved in the medium-

term (4-5 years, aligned to national planning cycles) in support of national agriculture, rural

development and food security objectives expressed in national development plans and policies. In

accordance with the recommendations of the FAO Strategic Evaluation (August 2010), the name of

the NMTPF has been changed to CPF, and it is required for all countries receiving FAO support.

The CPF for Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) outlines the joint Government of Lao

PDR (GOL) and FAO medium-term priorities for FAO’s technical assistance over the period 2013-

2015. It was formulated by the FAO Representative (FAOR) in the country with the assistance of one

international and one national specialist. The design was carried out in two phases. In the first phase a

zero draft of the CPF was produced through a process of literature review covering government policy

documents and other source material, complemented by a series of meetings with resource persons

from a wide range of organizations, including GOL, donor agencies, FAO staff based in Lao PDR and

in the region, Lao PDR-based staff of other UN agencies, the staff of projects and programmes in

food, agriculture and rural development and other persons familiar with these sectors in-country. The

list of documents and websites consulted is shown in the References section. The main result of the

first phase was the identification of Priority Areas.

A preliminary version of the zero draft was shared with the MAF, which distributed copies to relevant

parties. A “brainstorming” session with MAF and other government agencies concerned with food,

agriculture and rural development was held at MAF’s Department of Planning to discuss this draft.

This session, chaired by the Director-General of the Planning Department was the first part of an

iterative process of dialogue and consultation with stakeholders through which the final draft CPF was

developed for approval by the GOL and FAO. The zero draft was later amended to reflect these

discussions and incorporate the views of the GOL. This amended zero draft was then circulated

among relevant staff of the FAO Country Office, the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (FAO-

RAP) in Bangkok and the FAO Headquarters in Rome. Comments from this consultation exercise

were then incorporated into a further amendment of the draft.

The second phase began with the identification of priority outcomes and outputs of the CPF, which

were derived from the Priority Areas identified in the first phase. The most important activity of this

period was a series of interviews and discussions with a wide range of senior staff of GOL in

departments and divisions of the various ministries responsible for developing strategies and policies

and implementing activities that fall within the identified Priority Areas. Strategy and policy

documents of these government agencies were collected, analysed and incorporated into the draft. A

series of outputs was developed under each of the outcomes on the basis of departmental strategy

papers and information supplied by senior departmental staff. This was supplemented by interviews

with other key stakeholders among non-governmental development partners and a continued literature

review.

2

On this basis a first draft of the CPF was developed. The draft was subsequently discussed at a CPF

Stakeholders’ Consultation Workshop held in Vientiane Capital. This engaged a wide range of

representatives of government line ministries and their departments, donor agencies and international

non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The next draft (Version 1.1) incorporated suggestions and

comments received at this workshop. Version 1.1 was then circulated among relevant FAO staff at

headquarters, regional and national levels for further comments and inputs. The present draft

incorporates these comments.

PART I: NATIONAL CONTEXT

2. SITUATION ANALYSIS

2.1 Introduction

Lao PDR continues to develop rapidly in terms of economic indicators, and has transformed itself into

a lower middle income country in recent years.1 Real gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the six

years from 2006 to 2011 was approximately eight percent per annum. Despite heightened uncertainty

in the global economy, the World Bank’s (WB) medium-term growth projection for the period of

2013 to 2015 is 7.5 percent per annum. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimates the figure at

7.7 percent in 2013 and 2014. According to WB estimates, per capita income reached USD 1 030 in

2010 and USD 1 260 in 2012, compared with USD 581 in 2006.2

GDP per capita has exceeded plan

targets in two of the three financial years covered by the plan to date and is expected to exceed the

planned 7th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) target of USD 1 700 per capita.

For the fiscal year 2012-2013 the GDP per capita income has reached approximately USD 1 490.3

This dynamic economic growth has resulted from high levels of foreign investment, particularly in

hydropower and mining (which together also accounted for the bulk of export earnings), as well as

forestry, construction and, to a lesser extent, agriculture. Rising world prices for Lao PDR’s main

mineral exports, copper and gold, have helped boost the growth rate (MPI 2012).

Alongside impressive performance in overall economic development, the country has made progress

in rural development and has made advances in terms of poverty reduction. The national poverty rate

declined from 33.5 percent in 2002-2003 to 20.5 percent in 2012-2013 against a 7th NSEDP target of

less than 19 percent (MPI 2013). The poverty gap ratio has also declined steadily, from 8.0 to 6.5

percent between 2002 and 2007, and is on course to reach the target of 6.0 percent by 2015 (MPI

2011). A number of initiatives have strengthened communities at the local level, including the

establishment of the Village Poverty Reduction Fund in 1 900 villages in 21 districts across five

provinces. Financial operations of the Fund amounted to USD 16.6 million in 2011 with an additional

USD 25 million committed for phase two of the Fund. There has also been expansion of rural

financial services and loans for cultivation, livestock raising and small business development.

Economic growth has been steady and stable, and the impact of the recent global financial crisis on

the economy has been less severe than for neighbouring countries. Economic growth, which is linked

to larger surrounding economies (China, Thailand and Viet Nam), will likely remain robust for the

1 This is based on the World Bank classification of a lower middle income country as one whose per capita

national income is in the range USD 1 026 to 4 035. 2 Data:worldbank.org/country/laos-pdr

3 Ministry of Planning and Investment, Background Document, 11

th High Level Round Table Meeting, 19

November 2013

3

near future with increasing foreign direct investment (FDI) in crops, industrial forestry, hydropower

and mining. However, the GOL recently identified three major constraints on growth, namely:

taxation, access to finance and an inadequately educated workforce (MPI 2012, citing GIZ and WB

sources).

On the negative side, impressive achievements in terms of economic growth and poverty reduction

have not translated into significant reductions in the country’s seriously high levels of food insecurity

and undernutrition. As the background document for the 2013 Round Table Implementation Meeting

noted, “The nutrition target is off track, with stunting in children remaining one of the country’s

biggest challenges. An estimated 44 percent of children under five years of age are stunted, with

serious consequences for the quality of the country’s human resource capital. Lao PDR has made

steady progress towards universal primary education coverage, but low survival rates to secondary

education pose a risk to MDG achievement. Lao PDR will need to address the high primary school

dropout rates, low secondary enrolment rates, slow improvement in literacy rates and the quality of

education. Gender parity has improved at primary level although is less evident at secondary level”

(MPI 2013).

Widespread inequalities and disparities exist in Lao PDR, imposing serious challenges to the

achievement of sustainable development and the MDGs. Despite progress made, poverty – like food

insecurity – is still widespread and largely defined by ethnicity, gender and geography (ADB 2011b,

p.3; Bestari et al. 2006, p.12). For instance, 75 percent of male members of agricultural households

who are over 10 years old are able to read and write without difficulty, compared with 57 percent of

female members, and school attendance among boys is much higher than among girls (FAO & MAF

2010, pp.5, 11-18; GOL 2006, pp.1-2). Moreover major inequalities exist between female- and male-

headed agricultural households4 with respect to land, livelihood diversification and cash income.

There are generally smaller holdings by area, fewer plots of land, fewer income-generating livestock,

fishery and forest-related activities, and lower crop marketing rates in female- than male-headed

agricultural households. Female-headed agricultural households also generally spend a larger

proportion of cash income on food and have less access to safe drinking water sources than their male

counterparts (FAO & MAF 2010, p.53).

According to the National Nutrition Strategy (NNS), over the period 2000-2007, during which total

GDP more than doubled, undernutrition among children under five years old (CU5) fell by just three

percentage points, from 40 to 37 percent, but more recent figures indicate that the problem of

underweight among CU5 declined from 31 to 26.6 percent between 2005 and 2012 (LSIS 2012). Even

if the latter set of figures is correct, the rate of improvement is still unacceptably low. Progress on

stunting has also been very slow, with prevalence falling from 48 percent (MICS) in 2005 to 44

percent (LSIS) in 2012. This means the country is seriously off track in terms of meeting the national

MDG target of 24 percent by 2015.

These rates are even higher among rural remote upland communities populated by non-Lao speaking

ethnic groups. Micronutrient deficiencies are also among the challenges that must be addressed,

because over 40 percent of CU5 suffer from anemia and 45 percent are vitamin A deficient. Chronic

child undernutrition remains one of the country’s most serious problems, with nearly 300 000 CU5s

(40 percent) stunted. The NNS reported that:

45 percent of CU5 and 23 percent of women suffer from vitamin A deficiency

41 percent of CU5 and 63.5 percent of CU2 suffer from anaemia

4 About 10% of Lao households are headed by women and these are concentrated in urban areas. Less than 5%

of all agricultural households are headed by women, the majority being widows and Lao Loum (lowland

dwelling Tai peoples), and only 9% of all agricultural holdings are managed by women.

4

22 cent of women aged 15 to 49 suffer from iron deficiency

54 percent of children suffer from Soil Transmitted Helminthes (parasitic infection)

23 percent of the population is undernourished

The latest MDG progress report on Lao PDR provides a mixed picture with respect to achievements

on the Goals that are of relevance to hunger, poverty, the environment and water and sanitation

(WATSAN) in rural areas. The MDG targets are off track in five areas: (i) MDG 1 (malnutrition); (ii)

MDG 2 (low education survival rates); (iii) MDG 4 (CU5 mortality rate; (iv) MDG 5 (maternal

mortality); and (v) MDG 9 (unexploded ordnance (UXO)). For MDG 1, the fact that the country is on

track to meet the 2015 target of reducing poverty by half, but “seriously off track” in terms of

reducing hunger by half is puzzling, given that, according to Engel’s Law, there is a positive

correlation between poverty level and income elasticity of demand for food.5 The fact that the rural

WATSAN targets are off target is of close relevance to food security, because poor water and

sanitation tend to translate into high increased incidence of diarrhoeal disease, which inhibits food

absorption, thereby compromising food utilization.

The fact that the target on environmental loss is “seriously off track” is explained by loss of natural

forest cover (including serious loss due to “slash and burn” agriculture), extraction of high-value

timber species, excessive gathering of firewood and construction material in some areas, land-based

speculative investments6 and land conversion, continuing soil erosion, hunting and habitat loss.

According to recent report of the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI): “Lao PDR’s forest

resource, which once covered about 70 percent of total land area, had declined to 42 percent by 2002

and is about 40.3 percent in 2010 based on the MAF definition of forest of 20 percent crown cover”.7

The GOL recognizes this as a grave concern and has initiated efforts to address such issues through,

for example, the Lao PDR National Protected Area System and a National Production Forest System

aimed at implementing sustainable annual timber quotas. If the current trend continues, the country’s

last remaining natural forests may disappear by 2070, or earlier.

Widespread soil erosion, especially in the uplands, and shorter fallow periods under shifting

cultivation are leading to declining agricultural productivity. On top of the loss of forest, wetlands and

grasslands habitat, hunting and illegal trade are having a detrimental effect on Lao PDR’s 1.6 percent

share of globally threatened species (MPI 2011, pp 24-25). It may be added that, in terms of total

forest cover, loss of natural forest cover is in the process of being offset by an expansion of industrial

tree plantations in the form of tree crops such as rubber and eucalyptus. However, this process itself

imposes environmental costs in the form of biodiversity losses as this expansion may involve

clearance of natural or secondary forests. The GOL is encouraging sustainable rubber plantations for

smallholders as a poverty reduction measure because rubber can generate more income per hectare

than more traditional cash crops. However, rubber prices are volatile and are currently in decline due

to the ongoing economic downturn.

Table 1 depicts the trends in food security and nutrition in Lao PDR in recent years, using the Global

Hunger Index (GHI).8 The Table also places these trends in a regional context by including other

5 i.e. the poorer the household the greater the proportion of any income increase tends to be spent on food. Lao

PDR is not unique in this respect; the same problem of hunger and undernutrition not declining in tandem with

poverty reduction is found in other Asian countries, such as India. 6 Land-based plantation investments are allowed on degraded lands, but due to poor mapping resources, etc.

many investments also occur in non-degraded forested areas. 7 According to the FAO definition of forest (which is based on 10% crown cover, 0.5 ha minimum area,

inclusion of bamboo and sustainable plantations as forest) forest cover in Lao PDR is 68%. 8 The GHI combines three equally weighted indicators in one index. These are: (i) the proportion of

undernourished people as a percentage of the population; (ii) the proportion of CU5 who are underweight; and

5

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. Although Lao PDR has not fared as well

as the other countries listed, it has succeeded in bringing its GHI down from “alarming” to “serious”

over the period shown.

Table 1. Global Hunger Index in ASEAN Countries, 1990-2012 (ranked by 2012 GHI)

Country

Global Hunger Index (GHI)

1990 1996 2001 2012

Malaysia 9.0 6.7 6.6 5.2

Thailand 15.1 11.8 9.2 8.1

Viet Nam 25.6 21.4 15.5 11.2

Indonesia 18.5 15.4 14.2 12.0

Philippines 19.9 17.6 14.2 12.2

Cambodia 31.8 31.5 26.0 19.6

Lao PDR 28.6 25.2 23.6 19.7 Source: Drawn from data in IFPRI et al 2012 Table 2.1; countries are ranked in ascending order of 2012 GHI

Notes:

1. The Index is rated on a five-point scale: (i) ≤ 4.9 ‘low’; (ii) 5.0-9.9 ‘moderate’; (iii) 10.0-19.9 ‘serious’;

(iv) 20.0-29.9 ‘alarming’, and (v) ≥ 30.0 ‘extremely alarming’

2. Brunei Darussalam and Singapore are excluded from the table because their GHI is now ≤ 4.9; Myanmar is

excluded because of lack of data

Rice is the staple food of most households in Lao PDR, accounting for approximately 67 percent of

average total dietary energy consumption (DEC). FAO Statistical Database (FAOSTAT) data indicate

that in 2007 per capita consumption of rice in Lao PDR was among the highest in the world, with an

average of 163 kg per capita/year (second only to Viet Nam’s 166 kg).9 FAO estimates, using the Lao

Expenditure and Consumption Survey (LECS) IV data, indicate that carbohydrate consumption,

largely derived from rice, had reached 79 percent of DEC, compared with a World Health

Organization (WHO)-recommended maximum of 75 percent. Protein consumption is at the low end

of the acceptable range, while intake of essential fatty acids (EFAs) is 11 percent of DEC, compared

with a recommended level of 15 percent. Hence the average diet is unbalanced in terms of the three

macronutrients. Inadequate consumption of EFAs, apart from its direct impact in terms of dietary

balance, also has secondary effects on micronutrients, because it leads to low body fat, which in turn

compromises the body’s capacity to store the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K). Moreover, while

micronutrients (e.g. from fruit) are available to many people in the Lao PDR, they cannot be absorbed

efficiently without oils and fats. Products from terrestrial (non-timber forest products (NTFP)) and

aquatic (frogs, mollusks, crustaceans, insects, arachnids, etc.) biodiversity can provide such oils and

fats, but aquatic biodiversity is under threat due to population increase, disturbances from mining,

hydropower development and seepage of agrochemicals, especially pesticides, into waterways in

areas of concession agriculture (see below). The abundance of NTFP, an important food security

safety net, has also decreased due to forest loss and commercialization of some species.

2.2 Situation and Outlook

(iii) the mortality rate of CU5. By using a range of indicators the GHI reflects the multi-faceted nature of

hunger. 9 The 2012 Lao PDR Rice Policy Study looked at a number of estimates of rice consumption in Lao PDR and

found they varied from 112 to 179 kg of raw milled rice/capita/annum. The FAOSTAT estimate is in the middle

of this range, and is used here because FAOSTAT estimates have the advantage of being comparable across

countries.

6

Although gradually declining in terms of its contribution to GDP in recent years, agriculture continues

to play a major role in the economy, with a growth rate of 4.1 percent during the 6th NSEDP, which

declined to 2.9 percent over the first three years of the 7th NSEDP. The sector contributed an

estimated 25.5 percent of GDP and absorbed an estimated 75 percent of the total workforce in 2010

(7th NSEDP, October 2011).

10 (The sectoral growth rate fell to 2.9 percent in FY 2011/13, the first

three years of the 7th NSEDP, but this is still above the population growth rate of 2.3 percent.) The

main achievement of the agriculture sector has been food self-sufficiency, with additional capacity for

export. At the same time, production of cash crops, crops suitable for processing and livestock has

expanded. The sector is becoming increasingly commercialized, yet around 80 percent of the rural

population is still subsistence farmers, who depend on heavily rice-based agriculture, raising livestock

and relying on collection of food from the wild to supply them with nutrient-rich foodstuffs. This

subsistence orientation is partly due to lack of transport infrastructure, as around 20 percent of the

population lacks adequate access to roads. Rice cultivation remains the single most important national

economic activity, with this crop accounting for 72 percent of the total cultivated area. Around 71

percent of all households practice rice cultivation.

Gender-specific consideration of agricultural activities is crucial, given that women farmers are

responsible for over half of all agricultural activities and make up 54 percent of the total agricultural

labour force (NSC 2004). Lao women contribute significantly across the sector, undertaking most of

the planting, weeding and harvesting activities, tending especially to the care of small livestock and

undertaking much of the management of fish ponds and fish culture in rice fields, and in processing

and marketing of fish.11

During most of the 1990s rice production in Lao PDR lagged behind consumption, and there was a

deficit in the range of 100 to 250 thousand tonnes a year during most of that decade. However, over

the period 1991-2011, Lao rice production increased by a factor of 2.7 to reach around 3.3 million

metric tonnes (MT) of paddy in 2011. This represents an average of 5.1 percent annual growth (in

compound terms), which is one of the highest growth rates in the region. This closed the deficit by the

end of the century, and there was a mounting level of surplus every year until by 2011 it had reached a

remarkable 350 thousand tonnes, so that rice self-sufficiency at national level “is now a stable reality”

(FAO-WB-IRRI 2012, p.24). The main drivers of this increase are an expansion in irrigated area,

adoption of high-yielding varieties and adoption of improved farm management practices (Lao

Census of Agriculture 2010/11; MAF 2010c). However, this growth was far from uniform across the

country: ten provinces are in rice surplus, while six are in deficit. Counterbalancing this, most of the

provinces that are deficit in rice are surplus maize producers. Maize has approximately the same

caloric value as rice (FAO-WB-IRRI 2012).

Other important economic crops include coffee, sugar cane, cassava, sweet potato and industrial tree

crops (such as rubber, eucalyptus and acacia). Use of chemical fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides has

traditionally been low, as farmers have been wary of chemical inputs, unconvinced as to their efficacy

as well as averse to the additional financial inputs needed. Fertilizer use is still mostly limited to

paddy nurseries, vegetables and some cash crops, and extensive use is made of farmyard manure

dropped from mainly free-ranging livestock. There is, however, an increasing trend towards the use of

pesticides and herbicides with the spread of agricultural concessions and as a result of the increasing

number of farmers acting as contract growers for local agricultural concessions. In many areas such

arrangements are the main point of contact between private investors and farmers. An important

10

In terms of government structure, the agricultural sector in Lao PDR is defined very broadly to embrace

crops, livestock, fisheries, irrigation and forestry. This definition is used throughout this report. 11

Sources: Population Census 2005; Country Profile 2010.

7

problem here is that imported agrochemicals are not labeled in the Lao language, so that farmers are

not aware of recommended dosages and application practices.

The growth of agricultural concessions is relatively recent, but it has been very rapid, and is generally

funded by investors from China, Viet Nam and Thailand, with a smaller number from Korea, Japan,

India, Europe and the Middle East. To date, approximately 1.1 million hectares (ha), or roughly five

percent of the country’s territory have been approved for concessions and leases. As this excludes

logging concessions, contract farming and hydropower projects, this estimate is considered

conservative (Schönweger et al., 2012). Official data on the extent of the phenomenon are limited but

field evidence indicates it is having negative implications on rural livelihoods. The trend in land

concessions is likely to grow, but the rapid expansion of this form of agriculture has led to problems

that need to be addressed and new mechanisms need to be devised to regulate this part of the sector.

The problems include loss of traditional access rights to NTFPs, loss of land traditionally farmed by

local people, erosion of biodiversity and all of the problems associated with monoculture (GTZ 2009).

These have manifested into numerous land-related conflicts now occurring throughout the country. A

positive step has been the GOL’s suspension (Prime Minister’s Decree No. 13 11/06/2012) of further

rubber, eucalyptus and mining concessions until 2015 in order to take stock of past concessions and

better manage future ones. In addition, during 2013, the first ever National Land Policy was drafted

and debated by the National Assembly; it was expected this will be passed at the end of

2013.Following this are planned revisions to both the Land and Forestry Laws. New mechanisms

need to be devised to regulate investment in agriculture within a framework of good governance and

equality. Experience suggests that, if well regulated, income from sustainable biodiversity-sensitive

investments can improve livelihoods, create revenue and jobs, and encourage modern farming skills,

such as in agroforestry and agrosilvipastoralism.

Livestock and fisheries are essential to small farmers across the country. Produce from these

subsectors contributes significantly to household incomes, and to the national economy. Livestock

numbers have increased during recent years at a growth rate ranging from three to five percent per

annum. The main animals reared are buffaloes, cattle, pigs and poultry, with goats also gaining in

popularity. Livestock production has become increasingly commercialized in recent years, driven by

increasing domestic and regional demand. Regional demand for livestock products is projected to

grow at between 3.5 and 4 percent per annum in the present decade, and Lao PDR has the potential to

meet much of this demand, but only if current problems can be addressed (see §3.1.4 below).

An estimated 40 percent of protein consumption derives from fisheries, making it the main source of

animal protein for the great majority of people. This subsector also contributes very significantly to

the supply of oils, fats and micronutrients, which are lacking in most diets. The area allocated to fish

ponds has been growing. They are mainly managed by women, and have become an important source

of income and food. Production from this source is mostly for domestic consumption, although

women also tend to process and market some of the fish from their fish ponds. There is also a

significant commercial fishery in the Nam Ngum Reservoir. Commercial aquaculture has undergone

remarkable development in recent years, but only in parts of the country with reliable access to

markets and that have a ready supply of fingerlings and fish feed. Generally, however, yields from

aquaculture are low and production is at best semi-intensive, the exception being foreign-operated

commercial aquaculture ventures which local producers are finding it difficult to compete with. Over

70 percent of farming households in Lao PDR fish part time on a seasonal basis, largely from open-

access sources. There is a corresponding need for government recognition of the benefits of wetland

and protected areas for fish production, and the conservation of natural fish habitats. With open access

fisheries, provincial governments are responsible for enforcement of regulations (e.g. closure during

the spawning season) and provision of extension advice and other support (e.g. government

8

hatcheries). There is a pressing need to reverse the trend of water resource degradation which is

having a negative impact on aquatic ecosystems. However, there is currently little capacity to perform

these tasks effectively, and individual catches are declining. In a context where population is rising at

an estimated 2.3 percent per annum, the number of fishers is also rising and the country is so heavily

dependent on fisheries for nutrition, this situation gives rise to very great concern.

Some vegetables are grown under irrigation in the dry season, but by far the most important irrigated

crop is rice, mainly through the provision of supplementary water in the wet season. The 2010/11 Lao

Census of Agriculture reported that 191.8 out of 986.6 thousand ha (19.4 percent) of rice was grown

under irrigation in that year (SCAC 2012 Table A1.19). The GOL has invested heavily in

improvement of the irrigation system and has repaired damaged systems, including damage occurring

during natural disasters since 2007. Irrigation coverage is low by regional standards, however, and

lack of irrigation is regarded by farmers as the greatest single constraint on increasing agricultural

production. In the 2010/11 Lao Census of Agriculture, 59 percent of farmers in all parts of the country

named lack of irrigation as the main constraint, compared with 43, 29, 25 and 10 percent for inputs,

land, markets and labour, respectively. Concerns about lack of irrigation were most common in the

southern region, where the average figure was 71 percent (SCAC 2012 Table A2.11).

Forestry has always been a major contributor to the GDP of Lao PDR, and remains an extremely

important national resource. As well as contributing to the economy directly, forests make an indirect

contribution, particularly through their role in water control, absorbing water during the rainy season

and releasing it in the dry season, thus reducing rainy season flooding and augmenting dry season

flows. Timber revenue contributes to government revenue and has the potential to supply raw

materials for value addition and employment in the form of timber processing industries. However,

governance of the forestry sector has proven to be a challenge, with supplies to processors fluctuating.

Management of the processors themselves has also been difficult and many of them are operating

without proper licenses.

For most of the rural poor, the forest provides many indispensible benefits. The collection of nutrient-

rich food, medicines, and firewood, is largely the work of women. Collection of construction

materials and wild animals from the forest is largely men’s work. On average, NTFPs account for 40

percent of a rural household’s annual income. There is a significant difference in earnings from forest

products between male- and female-headed households, and for households in the south compared

with other regions of Lao PDR. NTFPs are mostly used for subsistence, although some are sold in

local markets and some are traded internationally. The main NTFPs include forest animals, fish,

bamboo and rattan shoots, fruits, greens, honey, khem grass (for producing brooms), paper mulberry,

cardamom and malva nuts (as condiments and medicinal products), benzoin, peuak meuak, resins and

leo resins (for the chemical and perfumery industries). However, as noted earlier, forest cover has

been declining rapidly in recent years, and this is having a negative impact on NTFP production.

Lao PDR is a country rich in biodiversity, and this resource contributes hugely to the national

economy. Biodiversity in agriculture provides crucial ecological services such as crop pollination,

seed dispersal and pest control. In forestry it provides a wide range of valuable timber species and

NTFPs. However this rich resource is at present under threat by a combination of over-extraction and

destruction of habitat for other purposes. The forces that contribute to this include illegal logging, the

disappearance of the traditional usufruct rights of ethnic peoples, along with their resource-protection

measures, and the commitment of land to foreign investment in concession agriculture with the

consequent spread of monoculture. This situation is not helped by the weak policy and law

enforcement environment and lack of legal recourse. Even within smallholder agriculture, biodiversity

is being lost, as thousands of rice landraces are increasingly being replaced by a limited number of

high-yielding varieties.

9

The 2012 issue of the UN Asia Pacific Disaster Report (ESCAP-UNODRR 2012) notes that Lao PDR

suffers annual disaster losses that average no less than 0.7 percent of GDP. Moreover, the incidence of

natural disasters appears to have been increasing, with more frequent typhoons, droughts, heavy flash

floods, and other flooding. There have been three typhoons in the past four years. This is of course too

short a period to be indicative of longer term trends, but it is consistent with evidence from around the

world that the incidence of severe cyclonic storms (cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes) seems to be

increasing. Isolated small-scale disaster events, such as rodent outbreaks, continue to have profound

impacts at the community level. Improved communications and increased food availability may help

in managing these events but, due to increased event intensity and frequency, to what degree they can

help is not well understood at this time. Given the gender-differentiated impacts of natural disasters,

and the greater vulnerability of women and children in such events, disaster management would need

to account for and set in place gender- and age-sensitive measures.

Overall nutritional status in Lao PDR has remained unsatisfactory over recent decades. Diets are poor

in qualitative, as well as quantitative terms. The high rate of child malnutrition – particularly among

children between one and five years of age – over the last ten years continues to pose a challenge to

health and well-being (Kamiya 2011). The most significant constraint to food availability is the low

level of domestic production of non-rice food items, resulting from falling per capita availability of

agricultural land, low productivity and high risk in the agriculture sector. These conditions are

exacerbated by natural resource depletion and loss of traditional access rights, which threaten food

availability from common property resources.

There are important challenges to be faced in aquaculture and natural fisheries. These include limited

access to land suitable for fish pond construction, vulnerability to natural disasters, habitat loss,

shortage of fish feed and of fingerlings of suitable species (especially in less accessible areas) and

lack of reliable information. In gender terms, although women play a key role in fish production, they

are especially disadvantaged in terms of both time constraints (they have to perform multiple gender-

specific tasks in and around the household) and in terms of lack of access to training and information.

The livestock sector is beset by problems. One that has been prominent of late is Highly Pathogenic

Avian Influenza (HPAI). However, with technical assistance from various international agencies,

including FAO, this threat has so far been contained. Several other animal diseases are prevalent. For

instance, there has been a worryingly high mortality rate from swine cholera, especially in the north;

blue-ear disease of pigs and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in buffaloes appear to be spreading.

Vaccination of livestock is still very limited. Animal mortality rates could be greatly reduced through

improved veterinary programmes and better husbandry practices. There is also a misunderstanding

among most of farmers of the risk of animal diseases, and they sometime resist control measures on

the grounds of cost. This could lead to export restrictions in the future and a limit to trade through

official and formal channels (FAO/WFP 2011). A key underlying problem is shortage of veterinarians

(there is no training school in-country).

Two further unrelated issues add to an already complex picture. One is unexploded ordnance (UXOs).

During the military conflict in Indochina in the 1960s and 1970s, Lao PDR was the scene of extensive

ground battles and intense aerial bombardment. Around two million MT of bombs were dropped on

the country during 1965-1975, especially in areas adjacent to Viet Nam. An estimated 30 percent of

those bombs failed to detonate on impact, leaving a legacy of UXOs that continues to kill and maim

today. The aggregate casualty load is in excess of 13 000 people. In addition, according to the 2012

agricultural census, the total area of agricultural land left unsafe through UXO contamination is more

than 170 000 ha. A survey conducted in 1996 on the socio-economic impact of UXOs in Lao PDR

found that 25 percent of all villages were affected. In rural communities, high levels of poverty and

risk were found to be clearly linked to high levels of UXO contamination: “Villagers living in such

10

impoverished conditions often find that they are confronted with ‘enforced risk-taking’. They either

continue to live in acute poverty and in many cases chronic malnutrition, or risk injury and death by

working UXO-contaminated land.” In some areas collection of UXO scrap metal for sale has become

common, raising huge safety concerns. Clearance efforts are ongoing, but they are small in relation to

the scale of the challenge.12

The second issue is opium production. This is a traditional cash crop in some northern districts; since

2001 the GOL has been making efforts, supported by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

and by the European Union (in Huaphan Province), to find alternative livelihood opportunities for

growers. The strategy initially met with a good degree of success, to the extent that by 2006

production had fallen to the point that the government could declare the country to be effectively

opium-free, whereupon efforts were scaled back. However, the problem has since become resurgent.

According to UNODC, the area under opium reached an estimated 1 500 ha by 2008 and is now

thought to exceed 4 000 ha. The challenge is to find legal crops that can compete economically with

opium and this is very difficult when the price of opium is now so high and the production areas

remote, so that only very high value crops are economically viable. This, it must be added, is a global

issue, and governments, not only in Lao PDR, but in many parts of Asia – and South America in the

case of cocaine – have faced severe difficulties in trying to identify economically-attractive legal

alternatives.

2.3 Government Policies and National Priorities

The overarching development goals of the Lao PDR are to reduce poverty, achieve growth with

equity and meet the MDGs, with the aim of graduating from the “Least Developed” category of

countries by 2020 (MPI 2011). This section examines policies and priorities at the macro level insofar

as they affect agriculture, national resource management (NRM), food and nutritional security,

poverty reduction and similar concerns, as delineated in the current (7th

) five-year plan. Sectoral and

subsectoral planning in these areas is analysed in Annex 2 of this document, which also addresses

policies in the related areas of biodiversity, disaster risk reduction (DRR) and disaster risk

management (DRM), and climate change (CC). Key features of the overarching policy document in

the agricultural sector, the Strategy for Agricultural Development 2011-2020, are also examined

below (see §3.1 and 3.2)

The 7th

National Socio-Economic Development Plan (2011-2015) takes as one of its “Strategic

Directions” the achievement of the MDGs on poverty reduction by 2015. It forecasts a growth rate in

the agriculture and forestry sector of at least 3.5 percent over the plan period (down from 4.1 percent

in the 6th NSEDP, but still above the rate of population growth). The share of agriculture in GDP is

projected to continue to fall (to 23 percent) because the rate of GDP growth is projected to be at least

8 percent. Key challenges recognized for the plan period include the need for a “more visible shift” of

employment from farm to non-farm sectors, addressing environmental issues and mitigating the

impact of climate change. One of the seven “directions” of the Plan addresses rural development and

poverty eradication, the aim being to reduce income inequalities between rural and urban areas,

between geographical areas and between rich and poor. Moreover the Plan highlights the promotion

of inclusion, especially of women, and ethnic groups in remote areas of the country. The Plan sets

ambitious targets with respect to growth of rice and livestock production. There are equally ambitious

targets for poverty reduction, improved nutrition (measured in terms of falling rates of child stunting

and underweight) and better access to clean water and sanitation. The environmental losses of recent

years are projected to be reversed. By 2015, 3.9 million ha of degraded forest are to be rehabilitated,

and a further 200 000 ha replanted, thus increasing forest cover to 65 percent.

12

The statistics and citations in this paragraph are based on Sisavath 2006.

11

Rural development is to be addressed by an “area-focused” development approach, targeting remote

areas where ethnic minorities predominate, and where poverty is endemic, as well as areas which have

high growth and development potential. This approach is to be implemented by priority programmes

and projects for rural resettlement, “greening the country”, linking agricultural production to

processing and service industries and continuing the policy (introduced in 2004) of establishing model

villages and clusters of development villages (Kumbans). Measures to achieve this include relocating

government experts to grassroots levels, strengthening institutional capacity, gender sensitization,

resource mobilization and utilization, designing special interventions for poor people and ethnic

groups, and translating rural development/poverty eradication programmes into funded projects.

Directions for the agriculture and forestry sector are centred around agricultural modernization and

commercialization, enhanced food security, improved productivity and quality, optimal use of natural

resources and improved livelihoods for farmers. Improving the management of agricultural

concessions and promoting investment in priority and remote upland areas are key priorities. In terms

of measures to be taken, the focus is on modern technology to improve productivity (with strong

emphasis on irrigation), policy reforms (such as tax incentives) to expand market networks, human

resource development at all levels (e.g. by sending government specialists to areas where there is

insufficient expertise), measures to improve the quality of agricultural produce (e.g. improved sanitary

and phytosanitary (SPS) measures) and reforestation by planting “appropriate” tree species, and

stabilizing shifting cultivation.

The goal of the earlier National Growth and Poverty Eradication Strategy (NGPES) was “to halve

poverty levels by 2005 and eradicate mass poverty by 2010”, and the Strategy assigned a key role to

agriculture in achieving these aims. What has transpired has been that, as noted earlier (§2.1), the

country is on track to meet the MDG 1 target of halving extreme poverty by 2015, but is seriously off

track in terms of reducing hunger by half by the same year.

2.4 Governance System

FAO’s partner ministry is the MAF. A Prime Minister’s Decree adopted on 28 June 2012

(Organization and Function of MAF) revised the organizational structure of the ministry at the central

level into 12 sections, eight of which are concerned with specific subsectors or research and outreach.

These are:

Department of Agriculture

Department of Livestock and Fishery

Department of Irrigation

Department of Forestry

Department of Forestry Inspection

Department of Agricultural Land Management and Development

Department of Agricultural Extension and Cooperatives

National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI)

Other relevant government bodies are the MPI, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC) (for

issues of agricultural trade) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) (for nutritional and food safety issues).

The newly formed Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) is also likely to

become a key player, particularly since it has been assigned responsibility for all forestry resources

except “production forests” (i.e. those where logging under license is permitted). Control over

production forests remains with MAF. MONRE is also responsible for a range of other environmental

issues, including water resources, land management, environment, CC, meteorology and hydrology,

DRM, environmental quality monitoring and research, environmental and social safeguards, and data

and information management. It is the GOL’s point of liaison with the Mekong River Commission

12

and operates a geographical information systems (GIS) database on environmental resources.

However, the National Geographic Department which is currently updating Lao maps did not become

a part of MONRE as part of the recent reorganization, instead remaining part of the Ministry of Home

Affairs (MOHA).

A policy of decentralization has existed in Lao PDR for some time. For purposes of planning and

budgeting, the province is regarded as the strategic unit, and the district as the budget-planning unit.

This practice was formalized and regularized in 2000 under Prime Ministerial Instruction No. 01,

which acknowledged and addressed a number of weak points and failings in the system, and aligned

decentralization more closely to the then recent acceptance of the market mechanism as a basic

driving force of the economy. The purpose of the Instruction can be summarized as: (i) “to extend the

scope of rights and increase responsibility (and) awareness at the local levels and the grassroots”; (ii)

“to support the sustainable socio-economic growth of the local levels and grassroots”; and (iii) “to

transmit the Party's policies and state plans to the implementing units at the local levels and elaborate

the policies into guidelines for the formulation of plans and budgets, starting from the grassroots

level” (GOL 2000 pp 1-2). In February 2012, the Central Party (Politburo) issued Resolution No. 3

with the instruction to build provinces as “strategic units”, districts as “comprehensively strengthened

units”, and villages as “development units”. The resolution requires providing a framework for

sharing responsibilities across different levels in the administration and assigns executive functions to

the districts in implementing development programmes. Fifteen ministries are identified to pilot this

policy (called the Sam Sang initiative) in 51 districts covering 105 villages. The Sam Sang pilot

requires local authorities to undertake greater responsibility in the development of the plans,

mobilization of revenues, allocation of resources and expenditure of budgets.

At the local level there is a Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office in all 17 provinces and a

District Agriculture and Forestry Office in 139 districts. All of them are seriously under-resourced

except when there is a donor-supported project or programme in operation.

In Lao PDR the government and the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP), are closely

interrelated. Government and Party efforts are bolstered by the Lao Front for National Construction,

(LFNC) which is affiliated to the LPRP, and acts as a mass organization whose role is to involve non-

party members in government and cultural affairs. Parallel organizations are the Lao Women’s Union,

the Lao People’s Revolutionary Youth, the Lao Federation of Trade Unions, and the Lao National

Federation of Veterans. A number of international NGOs (local NGOs are called Non-Profit

Associations (NPAs) in Lao PDR)13

operate in the country. However, local civil society is politically

weak and inexperienced, and there are few local NPAs. These organizations have now established

their own network, but it is still relatively new and as yet largely unproven. There are also a few

farmers’ associations, but these are also new and largely untested – although there are encouraging

signs that some of them are beginning to be effective.

3. DEVELOPMENT CONSTRAINTS AND GAPS

The key government document with respect to the CPF process is the Agricultural Development

Strategy 2011-2020 (ADS).14

Implementing the Strategy will be a challenging task, as at present there

are a large number of limitations that are likely to constrain or impede the process. The following key

constraints and gaps have emerged from a review of relevant literature and interviews with key

13

Also referred to as Non-Profit Organizations, Community-Based Civil Organizations or Non-Profit Grassroots

Civil Society Organizations. 14

The ADS and a wide range of other relevant sectoral, subsectoral and thematic strategies and policies are

reviewed in Annex 2 of this document.

13

informants in the sector. Against each issue the corresponding Goal(s) of the ADS is/are identified.

(The order of listing does not indicate priorities.) These goals are:

i) pursuing food security as the first priority in improving livelihoods

ii) increasing and modernizing production of agricultural commodities, establishing pro-poor and

green value chains, based on smallholder farmers, and targeting domestic, regional and global markets

iii) establishing sustainable production patterns in accordance with the specific conditions of each

region, stabilizing shifting cultivation and taking measures to address CC adaptation

iv) improving forest management in order to ensure sustainability, preserve biodiversity and improve

national forest cover

3.1 Sectoral Issues

3.1.1 Low Agricultural Productivity (Goal 1)

This issue needs little elaboration, as it is evident through many sources across the board – in crops,

livestock and fisheries. Outside of production problems, a major challenge exists in terms of poor on-

farm crop storage, which leads to high levels of wastage and spoilage. In the case of subsistence

agriculture this has an adverse impact on food security. In the case of production for the market it

leads to lower commodity prices because there is little value added, supply is unpredictable and

quality is often poor. This leads many consumers to prefer imported (mainly Thai but increasingly

Chinese and Vietnamese) produce, because quality is consistent. The quality problem has particularly

serious consequences in the case of agricultural exports (see §3.1.4 below). There are also issues of

low quality post-farm processing, which leads to low value addition – as in the important case of rice

milling, where recovery rates are low. Poor crop handling practices mean that food safety is often

compromised.

3.1.2 Weak Implementation Capacity (all four Goals)

As the review in Annex 2 implies, new sectoral and subsectoral policies and strategies have been

emerging at a growing rate in the past decade or so. These are generally well articulated and relevant

to the challenges faced by Lao PDR, but clearly they can bear fruit only if there is adequate

implementation capacity. As policy formulation develops, weaknesses in terms of implementation

capacity become an increasingly serious constraint. This weakness is frankly acknowledged in the

ADS, and articulated in terms of lack of accountability, predictability and transparency. The Strategy

(and strategies in relevant subsectors) is largely predicated on increasing market orientation; however

– again as noted in the ADS – weak rule of law and lack of accountability combine to constrain the

establishment of effective management systems for a market economy.

Policy implementation is also constrained by the fact that the government agricultural extension

system is extremely under-resourced, overstretched and basically ineffective without donor support,

which is unsustainable. In a number of countries NGOs and farmer organizations are playing a

growing and active role, even in countries where there had been previous distrust between

government and civil society organizations. But, as noted earlier, there are very few NPAs and ethnic

farmer organizations in Lao PDR, and the ones that exist are inexperienced. Reliance on the private

sector to supply extension services to farmers is now part of official policy. This has worked in some

countries with some commercial crops for which a strong contract farming system has been put in

place. This policy has also shown encouraging results in Lao PDR in the case of rice, where

incentives have been offered to rice millers to provide extension services to farmers to enable them to

grow grades of a sufficient standard to benefit from high market prices (SNV n.d). Contract farming is

14

envisaged a key role in the ADS 2011-2020, but other than this there is no policy on contract farming

and this model has a mixed track record in Lao PDR.

The problem of policy implementation capacity is most acute at provincial and district levels. Local

officials tend to have a poor understanding of what their new roles will be in the context of policy

evolution. Provincial and district offices have very little experience with implementing ideas in the

new strategy documents, having had little or no guidance or training. Moreover, staff turnover is high

and many staff do not have the relevant background. There are even cases where provincial officials

have not seen the strategic plans for their sectors and are continuing to base their planning on

approaches that have been discontinued.

Investment in agricultural capacity is low. The GOL has designated four areas of the economy as

“priority sectors”, namely agriculture, education, health and infrastructure. Yet, as the statistics in

Annex 3 of this document show, during 2008/09 to 2010/11 the budgetary allocation for agriculture

was less than two percent of the combined total assigned to the four “priority sectors”. Such a level of

allocation clearly does not reflect either agriculture’s “priority” status, or the fact that this sector

generates 27.4 percent of GDP (WB 2012, Annex 2), and employs three-quarters of the country’s

workforce – including the overwhelming majority of the country’s poor. In terms of the CPF exercise,

however, there would be little point in building capacity (in the form of human capital at provincial

and district level) if there continues to be insufficient operating budget to allow such human resources

to deploy their skills. Any capacity building exercise would therefore have to be designed in such a

way that the skills generated could be usefully employed in the sector.

The public sector is not the only area that suffers from lack of capacity. Capacity in institutions such

as civil society, producers’ organizations and the private sector is also underdeveloped. Nevertheless,

in many cases returns on investment in these sectors could be high, because they may not be limited to

the same degree by resource constraints on deploying capacity as is the case with GOL.

3.1.3 Inadequate Information Flows (all four Goals)

Information flow should be in two directions, with technical advice and assistance flowing through

the agricultural extension service to the farmers, and information about conditions on the ground

flowing from the farmers to the policy-makers through a series of data-gathering exercises. A problem

with the extension service in Lao PDR is underscored in the findings of the 2010/11 Lao Census of

Agriculture, which found that across the country the farmers’ main source of agricultural information

was other farmers and not the extension services – 55 percent compared with only 18 percent, in 16

provinces out of 17. The success of policy implementation depends critically on “bottom-up”

information flows, because this is a key determinant for monitoring the effectiveness of policy

implementation and making necessary adjustments to correct failures in original design as well as to

adapt to changing national and international circumstances.

There is limited information sharing among ministries and very limited collection of data at farmers’

field level. Compared with other developing countries, a regular programme to collect agricultural

data in Lao PDR is extremely limited in scope, covering only crop area, crop yield, crop production

and livestock numbers, with little or no disaggregation with respect to key variables such as farm size

and farmer gender. Moreover, agricultural statistics produced by the Department of Planning of MAF

rely heavily on the reporting system that exists at village level, field observations, administrative

records and other non-systematic means of collecting information. There are no methodical or

standard ways of collecting agricultural information nationwide such as sample surveys at district

level and the information being gathered at the village level may be either underestimated or

overestimated depending upon the purpose of the respondents in supplying such information. These

15

limitations are widely acknowledged, as in the ADS, where agricultural statistics are described as

“only moderately reliable”.

Once data have been transmitted to the Center of Statistics and Information in MAF it is difficult to

check their reliability. The recent Lao PDR Rice Policy study (FAO-WB-IRRI, 2012, Annex 1)

highlights the problems that exist with rice consumption measurement in existing surveys.

Agricultural and other rural employment, particularly female and youth employment, is a key area for

which there are crucial information gaps. The full extent of existing labour force participation by

women and youth is poorly understood, and correspondingly under-reflected, in national perceptions

and policies. Without such understanding it is difficult to imagine that appropriate policies will be

formulated and implemented. For example, in the realm of technology transfer, it is essential to be

able to understand the channels through which new technologies are disseminated, to whom they are

disseminated and the impact this has on technology access and corresponding livelihood impact.

Issues of this sort apply at both quantitative and qualitative levels.

The recently published Lao Census of Agriculture (2010-2011), which is based on a statistically-

robust approach to data collection and analysis, revealed wide areas of discrepancy between the

census figures and the estimates shown in agricultural statistics yearbooks. This census, and a

comparison of its data with the data in the only previous Census of Agriculture (1998-1999), serve

two important functions. First, they demonstrate the usefulness of reliable data and second, they

indicate that it is possible to collect such data in the context of the Lao PDR. Comparison of the two

sets of census figures reveals that some fundamental shifts have occurred in the agricultural economy

over the twelve-year period they cover. For example, there has been a huge increase in the use of two-

wheeled tractors and a corresponding decrease in the number of draught animals (buffaloes), dramatic

growth in the rubber subsector and a large decrease in subsistence orientation. However the period

between the two censuses is too long for the purpose of monitoring policy impact, and the

discrepancies that have been revealed highlight the need to improve the process of regular data

collection.

FAO’s previous assistance in information-gathering exercises (such as agricultural censuses) is likely

to have little lasting impact if an ongoing system of sample surveys is not put in place. Now is an

appropriate time to do this, since the latest census has provided a fresh and up-to-date sampling frame.

Lao PDR recently approved the Strategy for the Development of the National Statistical System

(SDNSS). However, agriculture is not properly included in this national strategy. Therefore, it is

important that the Lao Statistical Bureau and MAF work together to integrate agriculture into Lao

SDNSS to better assist the monitoring of the NSEDP. Problems in the category of information flow

go beyond agricultural statistics. Generally speaking, MAF has a weak reporting system from the field

in a wide range of areas, including performance of its projects and concession agreements and basic

information on resource availability.

3.1.4 Constraints on Agricultural Trade (Goal 2)

Three macro level developments in recent years have moved the topic of agricultural trade further up

the policy agenda in Lao PDR. The first is the country’s membership in the World Trade Organization

(WTO), which was ratified by WTO in October 2012 and approved by the National Assembly of Lao

PDR in December of that year. The second is the existence of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA).

AFTA became effective in 2002, but unprocessed agricultural products were placed on a “sensitive

list” and new member countries such as Lao PDR were given extra time to comply with its conditions.

In the case of Lao PDR this exemption will expire in 2015, by which time the country has agreed to

reduce tariffs on products on the sensitive list to 0-5 percent, and remove quantitative restrictions and

other non-tariff barriers. The third development is the upcoming establishment of the ASEAN

16

Economic Community (AEC), also in 2015. Such institutional change is likely to have a profound

impact on the continued development of the Lao economy in general and its agriculture sector in

particular. It will provide both opportunities and challenges: challenges, because the Lao economy

will become more open to global and regional competition; opportunities, because it will provide the

country with access to regional and global markets on more favourable terms. For example, the GOL

wants to develop sectors such as non-cultivated products (e.g. forest tea), for which there are good

demand prospects. However, as discussed above, product quality and consistency has not met

consumer standards and this will hamper efforts to penetrate the market that exists for such products

in countries such as Japan and China. More value needs to be added in the development of niche

agrobiodiversity products (quality, safety, processing, harvesting, marketing, packaging, etc.). Clearly

the agribusiness sector needs to be strengthened to meet the opportunities and challenges that lie

ahead.

Another area in which improvements are vital is that of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) standards,

because food exports from Lao PDR will have to meet increasingly exacting standards imposed by

importing countries if they are to secure admission to lucrative regional and international markets.

There is a significant volume of informal cross-border trade in agricultural produce, but there are no

reliable statistics on this activity. Agricultural exports through official channels are at present growing

rapidly, achieving an estimated 15-30 per annum growth in recent years, albeit from an admittedly

low base.15

This is partly because of improving transport infrastructure and partly because of the

growth in concession agriculture operated by foreign investors. The two agricultural censuses indicate

that rubber is a booming sector – although this is partly because the long time between the two

censuses conceals price volatility. Nevertheless, rubber is likely to become increasingly important

because of supply constraints elsewhere. Apart from rubber, other important export crops include

maize, cassava, coffee, Job’s tears (coix) seed and rice, but government policies on agricultural

exports are a source of difficulty. For example, a rice export ban was introduced in 2008 in response

to recent food price spikes, and this has compromised the country’s reputation as a reliable supply

partner. Inadequate policy implementation exacerbates such problems. For example, although the rice

export ban has since been lifted, it continues to be imposed by officials in some provinces, who are

apparently unaware of the policy shift. It is to be hoped that the proposed new rice policy will play a

key role in addressing such issues. Horticulture exports are also increasing, while traditional exports

like live animals have stagnated or declined – partly because there are fewer draught animals as a

result of mechanization. The potential for coffee export has picked up again because of a combination

of recovery from disease, investments on a large concession scale and expansion by farmers.

On the negative side, the country has very limited capacity to protect itself against pests and diseases

and even lacks the capacity to provide relevant data to neighbouring countries so as meet the

importers’ SPS requirements. Lao PDR has little or no control over the informal import of seeds and

other plant propagation material, so there is an ever-present danger of importing plant disease.

Increasing regionalization and globalization of agricultural trade means that planting materials are

being sourced from an ever-widening geographical area, which increases the risk of importing pests

and diseases to which there is no natural resistance in-country. Avoidance of such risk requires

rigorous quarantine measures, particularly plant quarantine measures, but these do not yet exist.

This incipient threat to Lao agriculture may have an additional effect on the country’s agricultural

exports, as more and more countries tighten restrictions on imported agricultural produce on health

and safety grounds. China has started to apply import controls via SPS measures. Thailand and Viet

Nam do not apply them at the moment, but are likely to do so in future; they have the authority to do

15

In the absence of reliable export data, these figures are based on import statistics for surrounding countries.

17

so under WTO and other trade agreements. If and when this happens, Lao PDR will be forced to

operate at the low end of market, where there may be no SPS requirements, but there is also no quality

premium.

In the case of non-food agricultural and forestry exports, such as rubber and timber, the main concern

is about lack of value added in-country. Although policy documents in agriculture and forestry stress

the need to increase this, reversing the present situation will require positive policy encouragement –

for example, through measures to encourage Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to invest in

processing. The very serious problem of illegal logging in Lao PDR has been worsened by the fact

that neighbouring countries are enforcing their own regulations to a growing extent or have exhausted

their forest resources, so that forests in Lao PDR are coming under increasing pressure to supply the

huge furniture industry that exists in a number of these countries. A recent positive sign has been the

government’s willingness to enter into negotiations with the European Union (EU) on the legally

binding Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) bilateral trade agreement. If

FLEGT is ratified it will require Lao PDR to prove that Lao wood products entering the EU market

have followed national laws traceable through a Timber Legality Assurance System.

3.1.5 Potential for Organic Agriculture (Goal 2)

The ADS lays strong emphasis on prospects for developing organic agricultural produce, but

international experience shows that this is an area that needs careful handling. MAF has initiated

activities which support organic agriculture, i.e. developing standards and legislation and a system of

local certification. These include the PROFIL project (Project on Promotion of Organic Farming and

Marketing in Lao PDR). MAF also adopted the Lao Organic Agriculture Standards at the end of 2005.

The Lao standards for certification of organic products govern the management, inspection and

accreditation of such products. These standards were developed in accordance with the International

Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements Basic Standards.

However, most organics produced in Lao PDR are still “self-declared”, and in terms of international

trade this is of little or no value. There is a need to develop systems for testing, verification and

credible certification. For international trade there are very strict requirements that must be met in

order for a product to be declared organic. At the moment, although there may be some niche markets,

largely speaking the international commercial sector would not have much interest in importing

organic produce from Lao PDR, because quantities are small and acceptable levels of certification are

absent. Ultimately, coordinated supply chains are needed. In the case of food, the requirements are

particularly stringent and Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) standards and Good Manufacturing

Practice (GMP) protocols are becoming steadily more important. Along with developed country

importers, neighbouring countries are becoming increasingly demanding on this front. For example,

China now operates these kinds of controls on imports of crops such as cassava and maize. However,

the returns on investment in quality control for bulk commodities like these are unattractive for Lao

PDR because margins are low. This is in contrast to horticultural crops, where margins are much

higher and therefore it is worth investing in order to reap a quality premium. Organic coffee is another

attractive option. However, at the moment government policies increase transaction costs but

contribute little to value added. For example, in the case of livestock exports, the licensing

requirements imposed by GOL do not include a health perspective. This demonstrates the huge gap

between the controls that currently exist in Lao PDR and what regional and global buyers require.

3.1.6 Potential for Green Value Chains (Goals 2 and 3)

This approach is strongly supported in the ADS. Here “green” refers to the absence of negative

environmental impact. Although this concept bears certain similarities to trade in organic

commodities, there are also important differences. For example, in theory, forest areas could be felled

18

in order to grow crops without agrochemicals. This would make them “organic”, but it would

certainly not make them “green”. In any case, many of the challenges would be the same, particularly

the need for acceptable levels of certification.

Very few commodities have been the subject of AVC analysis in Lao PDR16

but such studies are

essential for the value chain approach to contribute meaningfully. Value can be subtracted, as well as

added, at various points in the chain – as in the case of poor methods of transporting, storing and

handling produce leading to quantitative or qualitative loss. Points where the product is traded or

processed need to be studied in order to identify, for example, areas where efficiency gains may be

made or monopoly behaviour countered. In order for value chains to be “greened”, an environmental

impact assessment must be conducted covering each stage in the chain, especially in production and

processing. In order to make it pro-poor, as envisaged in the ADS, the bargaining power of the small

farmer has to be increased vis-à-vis the larger trader, particularly if monopoly or near-monopoly

conditions apply. The ADS aims to do this through formally legalized producer groups, farmers

groups or full cooperatives and commodity associations. Farmer associations were legalized by Prime

Ministerial Decree No. 115/PM on Associations (2009) but few have as yet emerged. Agricultural and

farmer cooperatives are legally recognized by Prime Ministerial Decree No. 136/PM but this is not

well known at the district or village levels. Although the necessary enabling environment for this

approach has yet to be developed, MAF has developed a Vision and Strategy for Developing Farmer

Organizations (2010) and this is an essential starting point. Also supporting this approach are donors

and NGOs which are assisting villages and village clusters in establishing associations and

cooperatives. One of the many advantages of this approach is that once the process of developing a

full strategy is complete, the emergence of commodity associations and cooperatives for small

farmers could become a viable vehicle for project funding. This is because if a farmers’ association or

cooperative is successful in terms of profitability for members, it will have inherent sustainability

prospects and will not need long term public sector or donor support.

3.1.7 Challenges in Natural Resource Management (Goals 3 and 4)

MAF recognizes that watershed protection is vital to the long-term development of both hydropower

and lowland agriculture, yet in many areas – fisheries, forestry, soils, water – Lao PDR’s natural

resource base is under threat. Water bodies have been overfished through excessive reliance on

capture fisheries and unsustainable fishing methods and through water diversion infrastructure,

especially for hydropower. Hence there is a pressing need to introduce effective measures to protect

natural fish stocks as well as to develop culture fisheries to augment human nutrition. The country’s

forest resources are menaced by a host of developments, from illegal logging and expansion of

agricultural activities to uncontrolled and unsustainable harvesting of NTFPs. Water resources are

both threatened and a threat in themselves. They are threatened by chemical runoff from agricultural

land in some of the most productive areas. They pose a threat because the development of hydropower

resources puts productive land under water, thereby destroying ecosystems; meanwhile the damming

of river flow has adverse downstream effects on the aquatic environment and thus on peoples’ food

security.

There is a need for a comprehensive and multi-sector planning framework which will assist MAF,

MONRE, the Ministry of Energy and Mining, and other related sectors in objectively analysing and

integrating the diverse needs and trade-offs among the sectors and stakeholders. There is a need to

reconcile the government policy which places macromanagement of natural resources management at

the central level, while micromanagement is bestowed on local authorities and implementation on

villages. This needs to be brought more closely into line with the decentralization policy, which, as

16

Coffee is an exception – see Galindom and Sallee (2007).

19

noted earlier (§2.4), identifies provinces as strategic units, districts as planning and budgeting units,

and villages as implementation units. However, as noted earlier, it is village/community level bottom

up approaches which are needed to help improve overall governance of natural resources.

Experience elsewhere indicates that natural resource management (NRM) is very unlikely to be

effective unless local communities are closely involved. This in turn largely hinges upon whether

local communities will be empowered and motivated to protect these resources, or whether a “tragedy

of the commons” situation will be allowed to develop, as seems to be happening at the moment.17

There is a pressing need for more clarity on the issue of land ownership and usufruct, because the

present situation creates problems in terms of both agricultural and forestry sustainability. In the case

of agriculture, lack of clear land entitlements outside of urban areas acts as a disincentive to

investment in land improvement. In the case of forests, existing legislation secures villagers’ access to

NTFPs and customary use rights are recognized in the Forestry Law and various regulations (see

Annex 2, §A2.1.1.3). However, for such rights to be effective they must be exclusive and at present

they are not. Many forest communities complain that outsiders can come into the forest at any time

and remove resources without regard to sustainability. A draft of the National Land Policy which was

debated by the National Assembly in July 2013 has begun to consider these issues. If passed, the

policy will provide the framework for the upcoming Land and Forestry Law revisions. Community

forestry is an approach which has had considerable success in terms of poverty reduction and forest

protection elsewhere in Asia; it has been piloted in Lao PDR but this approach, although mentioned in

the Forest Strategy paper, has yet to be adopted as a policy instrument. Community forestry can work

if there is interest at national level as well as local and district level to adopt it. A promising step in

2013 has been the establishment of the “Village Forestry Division” in the Department of Forestry of

MAF. Different models of forest, land and water resource management approaches can be included in

the design phases of territorial development plans to find suitable localized land use models that could

be adopted by communities and extension offices. The private sector should be included in the

process as stakeholders in order to engage them more closely in the sustainable development process.

The GOL has recently expressed the intention to undertake a nationwide process of land reform, and

to prioritize the need for increased local land management, recognizing that access to land for rural

households is fundamental to sustained poverty alleviation. This illustrates a shift of thinking towards

NRM and land tenure systems. The government intends to take immediate action on “balancing

between economic development, cultural and social progress, natural resources preservation, and

environmental protection as well as political stability to achieve growth with equity”.18

Despite improvements following the 2006 Vientiane Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, there is still

lack of harmonization on a number of fronts. One example of this is the differing stances on the issue

of land entitlement. Some donors advocate conferring individual ownership on farmers, while others

advocate community ownership on the grounds that it is both more in tune with tradition and serves to

reduce the risk of the land subsequently being sold to commercial estates. Such differences need to be

resolved.

17

“Tragedy of the commons” is a situation which leads to the depletion of a shared resource by individuals,

acting independently and rationally according to each one's self-interest, act contrary to the group's long-term

best interests by depleting the common resource 18

Statements made by the President of the National Assembly of Lao PDR's Committee on Economic Planning

and Finance, during his keynote speech at an international land and forestry conference held in Vientiane on 28

August 2012.

20

3.1.8 Concerns regarding Concession Agriculture (Goal 2)

As noted earlier, there has been rapid growth in the granting of agricultural concessions in recent

years. In principle, such a policy can play a positive role in developing agriculture and stimulating

economic growth. The recent high agricultural growth rates achieved by the sector have been in large

measure attributable to concession farming. This form of FDI also earns foreign exchange and can

serve as a useful stimulus to more general agricultural development through demonstration of its

effectiveness. However, it is essential to ensure that concession farming does not harm, but instead

improves, the livelihoods of local women and men. Furthermore, concessions aimed at producing

specific crops for export carry dangers from the perspective of agricultural and NRM. One concern is

that farming on sloping land can cause serious soil erosion. Perhaps an even greater concern is that,

because concession farming is typically based on monocropping with crops like maize and cassava,

there is a huge inherent danger of buildup of pests, weeds and disease in the soil, which must

eventually be abandoned. Concession holders have a large and growing reliance on agrichemicals to

counter these problems, but this strategy is also unsustainable and ecologically harmful in the longer

term. There are also social costs. Large-scale concessions in other countries in the region have shown

significant negative social impacts (for example, displacement of people, loss of access to land and

NTFPs) and these need to be taken into account when estimating the net value of concessions. Such

social costs are also occurring in Lao PDR and have been noted by many NGOs working in rural

development in concession areas.

There is also evidence that the granting of agricultural concessions (or “land deals”) tends to be

associated with high levels of food insecurity. Hence, the latest issue of the GHI report observed:

“The majority of international land deals to date have occurred in those countries that experience

higher levels of hunger and where the population and national incomes depend heavily on agriculture.

In seventeen of those, international land deals account for more than five percent of current

agricultural area, and in seven countries, land deals account for more than ten percent of total

agricultural area: Cambodia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Liberia, the Philippines, and Sierra

Leone” (IFPRI et al 2012 p. 29). Of course, correlation is no proof of causality, but it is notable that

all three variables (hunger, heavy dependence on agriculture and concession agriculture) are high in

Lao PDR. Indeed, the goal of emerging from the status of Least Developed Country status by 2020

may produce perverse incentives in terms of food security, as it tends to focus on GDP growth, often

at the cost of long-term sustainability and the goals of hunger reduction and reversing environmental

losses.

Over the past few years, the GOL has developed policy documents to improve the sustainable

development outcomes of agricultural investment. The draft National Strategy for Private Investment

Promotion and Management in Lao PDR till 2020 sets “a forward-looking vision” to promote quality

investments “that reduce poverty, enhance development of human capital and have least impact on the

environment” (p. 3). Moreover, a new law (No. 02 of 8 July 2009 on Investment Promotion), has

introduced major changes to how investments are promoted, chosen, approved, monitored and

terminated (Cotula, Shemberg and Polack 2012).

Several concrete initiatives to improve governance of land tenure, increase transparency and

streamline investment processes have also been undertaken, including the inventory of land leases and

concessions conducted by the Center for Research and Information of Land and Natural Resources –

now part of MONRE - with the support of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ)19

and the joint United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Environment

19

Lao - German Land Policy Development Project (LPDP/GTZ)

21

Programme’s (UNEP) Poverty Environment Initiative.20

MAF has also been receptive to the FAO’s

efforts to support and disseminate the FAO’s Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of

Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security.

However, despite these initiatives, there is no clear framework regulating land concessions based on

good governance, equality and human rights principles. Hence there is a consequent need to improve

governance processes.

3.2 Cross-Sectoral Issues

3.2.1 Food Insecurity (Goal 1)

The wide range of policy papers now available on agriculture, nutrition, NRM, and related sectors and

subsectors serves to underline the fact that there is no up-to-date policy document on food security,

although actions have now been initiated to produce an updated policy in this area (see §6.1 below).

The ADS clearly views food security as a key issue, making it the first priority of Goal 1. However,

there seems to be a degree of ambiguity in the document about what constitutes food security. At

several points (e.g. pp. 21, 90 and 41the ADS appears to equate food security with rice self-

sufficiency, while elsewhere (p. 107) it notes that crop diversification will improve the nutritional

wellbeing of the population, observing that this is “an element of food security”. The basic position of

the ADS, however, is that the National Nutrition Strategy (NNS) and Plan of Action (PoA) 2010-2015

“forms the strategic guideline for all stakeholders in the field of nutrition and food security in Lao

PDR” (p. 22). However, as noted in Annex 2 (A2.1.2), the NNS/PoA, being a nutritional plan, does

not strike an ideal balance between the various aspects of food security, and shows a predisposition to

concentrate on health aspects of food security. This point underlines a key underlying challenge in

food security, namely the fact that it is a multi-sectoral issue, and therefore requires collaboration

across ministries and other agencies, which is not always easy in Lao PDR (or elsewhere). An

important coordination mechanism was proposed in the NNS, namely the establishment of a nutrition

task force in each relevant ministry, but this has not yet materialized. A Prime Ministerial Decree to

establish a National Nutrition Commission (NNC) issued on 31 July 2013 is a measure towards

addressing this gap. The NNC is to be chaired by a Deputy Prime Minister with Ministers of Health,

Agriculture and Forestry and Planning and Investment as Vice Chairs. Its members include Vice

Ministers of these three ministries, as well as Vice Ministers of Education and Sports, Finance,

Industry and Commerce and Information, Culture and Tourism. Other institutions represented as

members are the National Commission for Mother and Child, Lao Federation of Trade Unions, Lao

Women’s Union, Lao People’s Revolutionary Youth Union, Central Committee of Lao Front National

Construction, and the Government Office. The Decree also establishes a Secretariat of the

Commission chaired by a Vice Minister of Health and with Vice Ministers of Agriculture and

Forestry and Planning and Investment as Vice Chairs. The members of the NNC Secretariat include

Directors General of various departments under these three ministries and the Ministries of Education

and Sports and Information, Culture and Tourism and the Nutrition Centre. The Decree has also

assigned specific rights and duties of the NNC and its Secretariat.

The NNC is still taking root. There are, nevertheless, already some examples of good practice in terms

of working across sectors upon which policymakers could draw. One is the Avian Influenza

Programme, which has a strategy and a plan of action with clearly defined responsibilities assigned to

each stakeholder. The collaboration involves MAF, MOH and MIC. The lead agency is the National

Emerging Infective Disease Coordination Office, which is hosted by MOH and co-led by MAF. The

20

The project is coordinated by the MPI with project components managed by the Department of Planning,

Investment Promotion Department, National Economic Research Institute and the Department of Environmental

and Social Impact Assessments of the Water Resources and Environment Administration. http://www.unpei.org/

22

National Commission for Advancement of Women provides another good example of coordination

across ministries (see §3.2.3 below).

Data on vulnerability to food insecurity exists for previous years some of which needs updating and

some of which is newly released. A Comprehensive Food Security Vulnerability Assessment was

conducted by the World Food Programme (WFP), but the data were collected in 2006 and published

in 2007, so the information needs updating. A Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission was

mounted by FAO and WFP in 2010. Although the results are useful to guide short-term planning, the

coverage, scope and depth of the assessment was not sufficient to guide long-term planning (nor was

it intended to be). Results of the 2011 Lao Social Indicator Survey (LSIS), coordinated by the

Ministry of Health, have been released and provide important nationwide data on social development.

The LSIS identifies areas and prevalence of malnutrition, but it does not identify the underlying

context or causes of malnutrition, which would be required to guide food and nutrition security

planning. In May 2013, MAF’s Department of Planning, with financial support from Australia and

technical support from FAO, released the Food Security Risk and Vulnerability Survey (RVS). With

nationwide coverage the RVS links to the Lao Census of Agriculture 2010-2011 and brings together

the causes of food insecurity and the resulting prevalence and areas of malnutrition. The RVS

provides essential information on the root causes of food insecurity and malnutrition, including the

underlying vulnerabilities of the rural population to most common shocks, the limiting factors on food

insecurity, and the levels of chronic and transitory food insecurity. The RVS and LSIS make it

possible for future interventions to be more strategically designed.

3.2.2 Low Food Safety Standards (Goals 1 and 2)

Consumption of unsafe food can cause many acute and even lifelong diseases, ranging from

diarrhoeal disease to various forms of cancer. WHO estimates that foodborne and waterborne diseases

together kill about 2.2 million people annually around the globe; 1.9 million of them are children.

Unsafe food compromises food security in a number of ways. Food availability will be reduced if

domestically produced or imported food is unsafe, and food stocks can become unsafe if storage

conditions are inappropriate. Food access can be compromised if food becomes unhygienic during

transportation, storage or marketing or if consumers resort to unsafe food because it is cheap. Food

utilization is compromised when foodborne illnesses lead to diarrhoeal disease, and thereby to

nutrient leaching. In terms of ADS Goal 2, food-importing countries are becoming increasingly

stringent in imposing high SPS standards and if a food-exporting country like Lao PDR cannot

provide acceptable guarantees that these standards have been met its produce will be liable to

rejection by high value markets. Meanwhile a range of ASEAN requirements must be met by 2015,

including harmonizing sampling, analysis and standards, and urgent action is required on this front.

Food safety is a cross-sectoral issue, because it impinges on agriculture, health, the food processing

industry, commerce and tourism, and therefore falls under the responsibility of at least four ministries.

Food safety is at a very nascent stage in Lao PDR, and there is little awareness among the various

stakeholders, including relevant GOL departments, of the need for action on this front. A food law is

in place, backed by a series of regulations, but both the law and the regulatory framework are outdated

and in need of revision. (This revision process is currently underway, with technical assistance from

FAO.) Various government agencies have responsibility for implementing certain aspects of food

safety, but coverage is patchy and incomplete, training and equipment are inadequate and there is poor

coordination between the various bodies and the various levels in the hierarchy. The country lacks

such basics as a food safety laboratory, a validated testing system, a risk-based food assessment

framework and a modern system of food inspection and reporting. Standards fall far short of those in

the Codex Alimentarius.

23

3.2.3 Gender Inequities (all four Goals)

The 1991 Constitution of Lao PDR guarantees gender equality, while the Family Law provides

guarantees for women in areas such as property rights. Gender equity is strongly championed in the

NGPES, and MAF has followed a gender mainstreaming approach, as can be seen in the ADS. MAF

also has created a Strategy for Advancement of Women in the Agriculture and Forestry Sector 2011-

2015, which is meant to enhance women’s participation and status in the sector. A National

Commission for the Advancement of Women was legally established in 2003 with responsibility for

gender mainstreaming across all sectors. In pursuit of this goal, sectoral commissions were established

in government ministries, including MAF, and that structure has been replicated at provincial level.

However, capacity is low, especially at the decentralized level. People who are appointed as gender

focal points in the Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office (PAFO) and District Agriculture and

Forestry Office (DAFO) are often junior staff members who are given this responsibility in addition to

other responsibilities, and who have no training on gender issues.

The commitment alone represents an impressive stage in the reform process, but the principles now

need to be translated into practice – for example, through providing agricultural training for women

and producing extension materials that take into account the gender division of labour. The challenges

are even greater at the societal level. Just over half of the officially defined agricultural workforce is

female, but women in fact contribute significantly more than this. Women also play a pivotal role in

food security, particularly in terms of food utilization. Yet these roles are undervalued by society at

large, and a significant gender gap remains within in the sector. Without affirmative action, the gender

gap is likely to grow as the agricultural economy grows, modernizes and specializes, because the

demands of an increasingly commercialized sector will require new skills, and women are at a

disadvantage in terms of acquiring them. For example, the development of a value chain approach

requires that cooperatives or other farmer associations be formed in order to increase the

smallholder’s bargaining power and to act as a conduit for training and information flows. However,

the fact that women have heavier demands placed on their time makes it difficult for them to

participate in such groups. Even if they do participate, their relatively low levels of literacy and

numeracy may prevent many of them from holding office within the group.

3.2.4 Unemployment, Underemployment and Poverty (all four Goals)

The poorest segment of the population lives in the rural areas, and the poorest people in the rural areas

are subsistence farmers and those who depend on hiring out their labour full or part-time. Rural labour

markets are informal and work is highly seasonal, so that the bulk of a year’s income must be earned

during relatively short periods of long hours and exhausting work. Labour productivity is low and

labour legislation is at best weakly enforced. Working conditions are poor, remuneration low and

access to social protection limited. Among rural labourers, women and youth are subject to wage bias

and other forms of discrimination. Lack of financial capital, human capital and social capital

precludes the potential for them to benefit from any marketing and other development opportunities

that may arise, except as unskilled labourers. Almost 60 percent of the population of Lao PDR is

younger than 25 years of age. As a large and dynamic workforce, rural youth are the future of the

agricultural sector but they are increasingly abandoning rural areas for urban areas in Lao PDR or

better paid jobs in Thailand. Constraints such as difficulties in accessing land, credit and productive

assets are stark for young people and particularly for young women, who often face the additional

constraint of reproductive duties and domestic work burdens.

Child labour also represents a significant challenge, especially for the agricultural sector. This is

mainly due to widespread poverty, systemic weaknesses in education and weak capacity and

awareness. (ILO, DWCP; 2010 child labour survey) Another issue is the lack of parental support for

24

educating their children, particularly daughters. Parents do not recognize education as necessary and

thus do not give it priority. Many poor families cannot support their children's education financially,

given that they have to pay for school fees, uniforms and stationery supplies (FAO, 2006).

Agricultural labourers, who have minimal if any savings or other disposable assets and little or no

social capital, are particularly prone to the effects of disasters or times when unemployment inevitably

peaks. They are also particularly vulnerable to loss of assets such as shelter, because they often have

no choice but to live in the areas which are most at risk for adverse climate events. There is an

increasingly strong possibility that CC will worsen their situation.

3.2.5 Risk and Vulnerability (all four Goals)

The continuing problem of UXOs and the ongoing effects of this on the Lao population and the

agricultural sector were noted earlier (§2.2). In addition to these man-made risks and vulnerabilities,

natural disasters continue to take their toll. Floods, droughts, typhoons and rodent infestations have

had significant impacts on lives, livelihoods and agricultural production, and communities may take

many years to recover from these events. Extreme weather events occur in most years. For example,

five percent or more of total cultivated area was adversely affected by climate events in nine of the 15

years between 1995 and 2011; ten percent or more was affected in three of these years, and in one

year (1996) 22 percent was affected (WB-FAO-IRRI 2012). In the second half of 2012, typhoons

caused flooding that reduced production of maize, beans and vegetables and cut rice production by 11

percent, which amounted to 360 thousand MT (ADB 2012).

Disasters are exacerbated by lack of preventative measures, low preparedness for their onset, low

capacity and resources to respond and little capability in terms of resilience. For example, irrigation

reduces vulnerability to drought, but Lao PDR has the lowest percentage of its rice area under

irrigation in Southeast Asia – just 12 percent, compared to around 60 percent in Thailand and 92

percent in Viet Nam.

Mainly as a result of significant expansion of wet season rice area, the impact of extreme weather

events on food security has changed in recent years: “While Lao PDR remains a vulnerable country in

terms of climatic shocks, the impact of these on food security has moved from being a national

phenomenon back in the 1990s to essentially an issue of localized incidence (albeit with possible

strong impact on livelihoods of those concerned)” (WB-FAO-IRRI 2012, p.13).

Natural hazards are not the only source of vulnerability. Recent history has shown that price volatility

of major staples also has a major impact on food security, as was demonstrated by the global food

crises of 2007/08 and 2011. Lao PDR has managed to keep itself relatively isolated from such price

volatility in the past. However, with the reduction in tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade that will

result from WTO membership, and from the country’s commitments under AFTA that will become

effective in 2015, Lao PDR’s agricultural sector will become more open, and therefore more exposed

to the transmission of global and regional price shocks.

3.2.6 Climate Change (all four Goals)

As noted in the National Adaptation Programme of Action to Climate Change (NAPA), the main

threat to Lao PDR from CC seems to be increased variability of rainfall, with more frequent and more

severe droughts (or extended dry seasons) and floods. Agriculture, forestry, water resources and

public health will be the most seriously affected sectors. In the case of agriculture, drought most

seriously affects rainfed production, often leading to crop failure; floods adversely affect both rainfed

and irrigated agriculture. In all cases household food security is put at serious risk. While irrigation

can serve as a disaster mitigation mechanism in droughts, irrigation infrastructure can be seriously

damaged during flood events, as in the case of Typhoon Haima in 2011, which caused damage to

25

irrigation infrastructure estimated at nearly USD nine million. Fisheries, which play such a crucial

role in nutrition, are at risk for CC impacts, especially culture fisheries. This subsector can be

devastated when ponds and paddy fields (where rice-fish systems are in place) dry out during

droughts. Flooding destroys infrastructure of fisheries by damaging water containment structures.

Even when they are not destroyed, loss occurs when such structures are overtopped, allowing culture

fish to escape and/or wild predator species to enter aquaculture areas. Prolonged drought or flooding

can kill trees, especially seedlings and saplings, and they affect many NTFPs even more seriously, as

when wild foods such as insects, frogs, snakes, wild plants, etc. are lost. Many of these are vital

sources of nutrient-rich foods for rural communities.

3.3 Conclusions

All of the above suggests that in many areas of agriculture and natural resource development there are

huge challenges for Lao PDR. However this should not be seen in a pessimistic light in view of the

tremendous progress that has been made in the sector over the past few decades. Production for

subsistence has declined dramatically, rice production has soared, poverty has been reduced,

population growth rates have fallen, and agricultural exports have shown strong growth performance.

Perhaps most encouraging, the GOL has shown a willingness to admit the inadequacies of past

policies and is willing to embrace serious reform. This is a strong platform from which to move

upwards.

PART II: PROGRAMMING FOR RESULTS

4. FAO IN LAO PDR

FAO’s vision is a world free of hunger and malnutrition where food and agriculture contributes to

improving the living standards of all, especially the poorest, in an economically, socially and

environmentally sustainable manner. To foster its achievement of this vision, FAO has adopted three

Global Goals:

a) Eradication of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition, progressively ensuring a world in which

people at all times have sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food

preferences for an active and healthy life

b) Elimination of poverty and the driving forward of economic and social progress for all, with

increased food production, enhanced rural development and sustainable livelihoods

c) Sustainable management and utilization of natural resources, including land, water, air, climate and

genetic resources, for the benefit of present and future generations.

FAO has a global mandate to address the priorities detailed in the various government policies and

strategy outlined in §2.3 above and Annex 1 of this document. These mandates also extend to

addressing the development constraints and gaps that were identified in Section 3. These mandates,

shown in Box 1, are expressed in terms of FAO’s Strategic Objectives; they represent the

development outcomes that will contribute to the achievement of the Global Goals and are expected to

be achieved over a long-term (ten-year) timeframe by member countries, based on FAO’s value-

added interventions.

26

Box 1. FAO’s Strategic Objectives, 2009-2019

1. Contribute to the eradication of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition

2. Increase and improve provision of goods and services from agriculture, forestry and

fisheries in a sustainable manner

3. Reduce rural poverty

4. Enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems at local, national and

international levels

5. Increase the resilience of livelihoods to threats and crises

FAO has also identified a set of Regional Priorities for its activities in Asia and the Pacific based on a

consultative process with stakeholders culminating in the endorsement by its Member Countries at the

FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific. The Regional Priorities provide a synthesized

view of the major issues in the areas of FAO’s mandate in regional and country priorities and are

intended to guide FAO’s support at the regional level. These Regional Priorities are presented in

Box 2.

Box 2. FAO’s Priorities for the Asia-Pacific Region, 2010-2019

1. Strengthening food and nutritional security

2. Fostering agricultural production and rural development

3. Enhancing equitable, productive and sustainable natural resource management and utilization

4. Improving capacity to respond to food and agricultural threats and emergencies

5. Coping with the impact of climate change on agriculture and food and nutritional security

4.1 A Brief Overview of FAO in Lao PDR

FAO is one of the oldest development partners in the country. It has collaborated with the GOL since

the establishment of the Lao PDR on 2 December 1975. An FAO Representative Office was

established in Vientiane in 1980.

In the area of food and nutritional security, FAO supported the development of the National

Nutrition Policy (NNP) in 2008 and the NNS/PoA for Nutrition in 2009, under its Technical

Cooperation Programme. Under the FAO Multi-Partner Programme Support Mechanism (FMM),

FAO facilitated the integration of FNS into the 7th NSEDP and supported the government-led process

of establishing a multi-sector coordination mechanism on FNS under the auspices of the Prime

Minister’s Office. Lao PDR is one of the pilot countries to receive support from FAO through FMM

on activities which focus on strengthening governance of FNS initiatives as a contribution to the

achievement of the hunger component of MDG 1, which is seriously off track. Under the EU-FAO

regional project, Linking Information and Decision-Making to Improve Food Security, FAO

contributed to improved food security policies and programmes aimed towards achieving MDG 1.

This just-completed project aimed at greater availability and access to quantity, quality and timely

food security information to support planning, policy and programme decision-making. FAO is

currently assisting an interministerial task force led by MAF in the formulation of an FNS strategy.

An important part of FAO’s activities has been focused on food and nutritional dimensions of

emergency response and disaster management. FAO also continues to support the GOL with several

activities identified and agreed upon in the guiding documents. With the WFP, FAO co-chairs the

Food Security Cluster, which is a part of the international humanitarian assistance effort, and is

27

closely involved in the Inter-Agency Standing Committee for coordination of disaster preparedness,

response and recovery. The FAO trains staff from central to village level in order to improve

household nutrition. It also promotes indigenous food and solutions that are accessible to all Lao

people. Lao PDR is also one of the national focal points for regional and global studies of aspects of

food security, which enable lessons to be learned and transferred between countries.

In terms of policy support, capacity strengthening and building information flows, FAO has taken

a lead role in assisting the GOL to use statistics-based strategies to strengthen its policy, planning and

decision-making processes, particularly in addressing the impacts of external shocks and other events

affecting the agriculture sector. In mid-2008 a project was launched to strengthen capacity for the

assessment of the rice situation and outlook, using a statistics-based approach, and the first and the

second Censuses of Agriculture were direct results of assistance and support from FAO. These

provided Lao PDR policy-makers with two highly detailed quantitative reviews of the sector’s

development, allowing them to make more informed, robust and sustainable policy decisions on a

wide range of issues, including agriculture, FNS, health and trade policy. FAO – in partnership with

MAF, the WB and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) – has also recently supported an

in-depth study of rice policy, which provides valuable information on this key subsector (FAO-WB-

IRRI 2012). In addition, FAO is providing assistance for the development of a system to monitor the

implementation of public sector development projects. This includes developing the methodological

and institutional bases for a medium-term system, including staff training at all levels of the MAF

structure, with a view to enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of project and management within

the ministry.

In the field of natural resource management, from 2003 to 2008 FAO provided policy and technical

assistance to the Government, specifically to develop and implement a National Agricultural

Biodiversity Programme (NABP). FAO is currently implementing a programme on Mainstreaming

Biodiversity in Lao PDR’s Agricultural and Land Management Policies, Plans and Programmes. Its

aim is to strengthen the roles of biodiversity, agribiodiversity, land management and the environment

in reducing poverty and enhancing livelihoods and to strengthen the capacity of the government to

meet its international biodiversity-related obligations. Most rural families in Lao PDR are involved in

some kind of subsistence fishing, but living aquatic resources are becoming heavily overexploited.

Since the 1980s FAO projects have focused on training of government staff, piloting integrated

livestock, crop and fish production and demonstrating the viability of semi-intensive fish production

methods. In 2007 the GOL requested FAO’s assistance in developing a dedicated fisheries and

aquaculture law. FAO has been active in forestry in Lao PDR for thirty years. Under the ASEAN

Forest Harvesting initiative, FAO assisted Lao PDR with the development of the National Code of

Practice for Forest Harvesting. FAO is also assisting Lao PDR in reviewing the past and current status

of planted forests.

The need for Lao agricultural exports to meet increasingly widespread and demanding international

quality standards in order to permit the country to access high value markets was noted earlier. FAO

is assisting in this area through a programme entitled Technical Assistance for the Development of the

SPS-related Legal Framework in Lao PDR.

Annex 3 of this document provides a complete listing of FAO’s current and recently comleted

programmes/projects in Lao PDR.

4.2 Coherence with United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF)

The UNDAF commits that the UN will work with the GOL to address capacity gaps in six priority

areas. Four of these are highly relevant to FAO’s mandate, namely inclusive and equitable growth,

28

human development, NRM and gender. UNDAF has defined ten intended Outcomes, five of which

are relevant to FAO’s mandate.

Outcome 1: By 2015, the GOL promotes more equitable and sustainable growth for poor people

in the Lao PDR

Outcome 5: By 2015, vulnerable people are more food-secure and have better nutrition

Outcome 7: By 2015, the GOL ensures sustainable NRM through improved governance and

community participation

Outcome 8: By 2015, the GOL and communities better adapt to and mitigate CC and reduce

natural disaster vulnerabilities in priority sectors

Outcome 10: By 2015, people in the Lao PDR benefit from policies and programmes which more

effectively promote gender equality and increased participation and representation of women in

formal and informal decision-making

5. CPF PRIORITY AREAS

Through a process of literature review, consultations with key stakeholders and other resource persons

and a brainstorming session with staff of MAF and other government agencies, four CPF priority

areas have been identified.21

These are based on careful balancing of:

The four Goals of the ADS 2011-2020, the eight Programmes of the Agricultural Master Plan

(AMP) 2011-2015 and the four “thrusts” of the ADS

The key constraints and gaps identified in Section 3 above

FAO’s global and regional priorities and its in-country track record and expertise

The UNDAF for Lao PDR.

Areas such as gender and youth employment are not listed as such among the priority areas, because

they are overarching themes which will be central to activities, outputs and outcomes of all priority

areas. Similarly, capacity development is not listed as a separate area, as it will form a key part of all

outputs and activities under CPF implementation.

Annex 4 of this document is the CPF Priority Matrix, i.e. a summary of the consistence between the

CPF Priority Areas developed here and: (a) government policy; (b) FAO’s Strategic Objectives; (c)

FAO Regional Priorities; and (d) UNDAF Outcomes for Lao PDR. These themes are developed in

greater detail in sections 5.1 to 5.4 below. Annex 5 reviews the country-level comparative advantage

of FAO and lists the development activities of other development partners in the Priority Areas, thus

indicating where the comparative advantages of the various donor agencies lie in the areas of

agriculture and NRM. The matrix shown as Table A5.1 of Annex 5 may be used as a guide in seeking

partners during the resource mobilization process.

5.1 CPF Priority Area 1: Improved food and nutritional security through enhanced policy,

planning and implementation mechanisms

Rural poverty and food insecurity are rife in the rural areas. Chronic malnutrition is at “critical” level

(i.e. ≥ 40 percent of children are stunted) in all agro-ecological zones except the Vientiane Plain

(where the level is “serious”, at 34.6 percent). Acute malnutrition (measured as incidence of wasting)

is important seasonally, during natural disasters and in many remote areas. Micronutrient deficiencies

(especially of iron, vitamin A and iodine) are extremely widespread. Consumption of the three

macronutrients is seriously biased in favour of carbohydrates (overwhelmingly rice). Diets are

protein-deficient and consumption of essential fatty acids (EFAs) (fats and vegetable oils) is more

21

In the zero draft of this document, Capacity Development for Policy Implementation was listed as a separate

Priority Area. However, in this version capacity building has instead been integrated into all activities that will

be undertaken under the CPF (see §3.2.5 above).

29

than 25 percent below acceptable levels. Progress towards MDG 1 has been assessed as “seriously off

track” in terms of meeting the goal of reducing hunger. The State of Food Insecurity report (FAO

2012) estimated that 27.8 percent of all people in Lao PDR from 2010 to 2012 were undernourished

which indicates that about 2 million people have daily DEC that is below their minimum requirement.

The issue of undernutrition needs to be addressed within a food security framework encompassing

availability, access, utilization and stability.

There are numerous reasons for these challenges, but a major underlying cause is low productivity in

agricultural and other sectors that are dependent on renewable natural resources. A crucial element of

productivity increase will be agricultural species diversification, to improve the nutritional wellbeing

of poor households, which are dependent on agriculture. The diversification strategy will also promote

opportunities to reduce the impact of increasing climate variability and change, which is often

considered to be one of the most important risk management strategies in smallholder subsistence

agriculture. According to the Lao Expenditure and Consumption Survey IV (LECS4), more than 70

percent of household dietary energy consumption in Lao PDR is obtained from subsistence

production. Increased productivity will also require improvements such as enhanced soil management,

better soil nutrition, improved crop varieties, better water control and integrated pest management

(IPM), complemented by support for the marketing of farm produce.

Coherence with government policy: This priority area is derived primarily from Goal #1 of the

ADS, namely “Improvement of livelihoods (through agricultural and livestock activities) has food

security as its first priority”.

Food insecurity, rural poverty and low agricultural productivity were all identified as key constraints

and gaps in the analyses in §3.2.1, §3.2.4 and §3.1.1, respectively.

Coherence with FAO’s mandate: The food security aspect of this goal echoes FAO’s global

mandates and Strategic Objective 1 (Eradicate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition) and Strategic

Objective 3 (Reduce rural poverty). It is also coherent with Regional Priority 1 (Strengthening food

and nutritional security). The aspect of agricultural productivity reflects FAO Strategic Objective 2

(Increase and improve provision of goods and services from agriculture, forestry and fisheries in a

sustainable manner) and Regional Priority 2 (Fostering agricultural production and rural

development).

Coherence with UNDAF: The food security aspect of this goal is in line with UNDAF Outcome 5

(By 2015, vulnerable people are more food-secure and have better nutrition) and its pro-poor growth

aspect is consistent with UNDAF Outcome 1 (By 2015, the GOL promotes more equitable and

sustainable growth for poor people in the Lao PDR).

5.2 CPF Priority Area 2: Environmentally sustainable production for the market by small

farmers using the value chain approach

Some existing agricultural value chains in Lao PDR are environmentally unsustainable – as in the

case of illegal logging, or overexploitation of valuable NTPFs – leading to decline in forest cover and

loss of biodiversity, with such ensuing effects as loss of access to wild foodstuffs, traditional

medicines, construction materials, etc. In the case of agricultural produce, in order to be “green”,

production for the market must avoid negative environmental effects such as unsustainable extraction

rates and pollution of water resources by chemical runoff. Organic agriculture, promoted in the ADS,

will be a key component of the green value chain approach. In addition to crops, there are important

marketing opportunities in other subsectors, particularly livestock and fisheries. The ADS notes that

both of these subsectors in Lao PDR have comparative advantages over neighbouring countries and

there is considerable potential to increase production of value-added products for export. Aggregate

30

production levels are constrained by low unit productivity, however, and for this reason the ADS

identifies agricultural modernization as a key to progress. In addition to the production constraints

mentioned above there are marketing constraints resulting from poor marketing information systems,

but this is an area that can be addressed through the AVC approach, as these chains can act as

conduits of information as well as of produce and inputs. A looming concern is the increasing

application of SPS standards by neighbouring countries, particularly in the context of WTO

membership and the advent of the AFTA (see §3.1.4 above).

The smallholder farmer focus presents some important issues in terms of organization. A fundamental

point is definitional; the ADS states, “For the context of Lao PDR, a legally binding definition of

‘smallholder’ is outstanding and urgently needed, since in the implementation of the ADS and the

Master Plan, the status of ‘smallholder’ will also define access to smallholder farmer organizations,

government support in the form of training, access to credit, etc.” A second set of issues concerns the

capacity of small farmers with low levels of formal education (particularly women) and social capital

to form market-oriented organizations such as associations and cooperatives. The weakness of

farmers’ organizations in Lao PDR is illustrated by the fact that there are at present only seven

registered agricultural cooperatives. There are systemic reasons for this; however, these are further

complicated by an unnecessarily complex registration process.

AVCs must be addressed at all points: pre-production (inputs, services), production, post-production

(primary, secondary and tertiary markets, plus intermarket transportation and handling), processing,

and distribution and marketing. Value chains for smallholders in Lao PDR are weak and inefficient.

There are many communication barriers which make for high transaction costs in the linkages

between producers, traders and consumers. Since smallholders by definition lack economies of scale,

the ADS solution is farmers’ associations, cooperatives or similar bodies. These organizations can

perform a number of functions. One is to increase the scale of production effectively, thus enhancing

the farmers’ bargaining power vis-à-vis traders. A second is to improve the product mix and the

coordination of production, so that the right products can be brought to market in the right quantities

at the right time in the right place, so as to reduce transaction costs for both farmer and trader, thereby

potentially generating higher revenues for both. This is a crucial aspect of agricultural modernization.

Farmer organizations can also act as two-way information conduits to bring improved technologies

and market information to smallholders. Examples of good practice already exist in Lao PDR on this

front – for example, in the form of an initiative under the National Rice Improvement Programme,

which brings together rice millers and farmers. This means that farmers produce what the millers

require (principally a single variety of rice, rather than a mix of varieties) so that the milled product

fetches a higher wholesale price; some of the benefits are passed on to the farmer in the form of

significantly higher farmgate prices.

A second area of weakness is market failure. If the farmers are confronted by a buyer’s monopoly,

forming a sellers’ association will not do much by itself to increase farmgate prices. Where such a

situation is found to exist, efforts are needed to attract more buyers so as to create a competitive

market. Gender-related vulnerabilities to exploitative practices also need to be considered, given the

key role of Lao women in agricultural marketing activities.

A third major area in which AVCs are weak is in terms of inefficiencies at the various production,

processing and handling points, which can subtract rather than add value. Losses may be financial, as

when fragile produce is physically damaged or spoiled. Alternatively, or additionally, food safety can

be compromised at any point in the AVC, through adulteration, biological and/or chemical

contamination, the use of unsafe additives or in the form of residues of, for example, pesticides and

veterinary drugs. Unsafe foods often cannot easily be spotted, but their damage to human health and

nutrition can be very serious. Such foods will also damage the country’s reputation as a food exporter,

31

as they are likely to fail the SPS standards of the importing country (see §3.2.2 above). Problems with

both financial loss and compromised food safety are rife in the AVCs of Lao PDR. Again, addressing

such issues is a key feature of agricultural modernization.

Coherence with government policy: This priority area is derived primarily from Goal 2 of the ADS,

namely “Increased and modernized producing of agricultural commodities will lead to ‘pro-poor and

green value chains’, targeting domestic, regional and global markets, based on organizations of

smallholder farmers and partnering investments with the private sector”. Agricultural trade, promotion

of organic produce for the market, and green value chains were all identified among the gaps and

constraints in §3.1.4 to 3.1.6 above. The value chain approach is also included in the Ministry of

Industry and Commerce’s Trade Development Facility project on providing advice and assistance to

MAF in formulating legal frameworks for strengthening SPS standards.

Coherence with FAO’s mandate: This priority area is consistent with FAO Strategic Objective 4

(Enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems at local, national and international

levels). Improved quality and food safety are obviously desirable in and of themselves, and contribute

importantly to food utilization. They are also particularly relevant to this priority area in terms of food

exports, because importing countries, globally – and increasingly, regionally – are now applying

increasingly rigorous demands in terms of food quality and compliance with international SPS

standards. This priority area is also implicit in FAO’s Regional Priority 3 (Enhancing equitable,

productive and sustainable NRM and utilization).

Coherence with UNDAF: This priority area is coherent with UNDAF Outcome 1 (By 2015, the GOL

promotes more equitable and sustainable growth for poor people in the Lao PDR).

5.3 CPF Priority Area 3: Sustainable natural resource management for crops, forests, fisheries

and livestock

Two key negative trends highlighted in the ADS are shifting cultivation and CC (p. 3). The

stabilization of shifting cultivation is a focal point of Goal 3 of the ADS: “Erosion effects are most

significant in areas where shifting cultivation has already led to soil degradation, particularly in those

areas where population pressure has led to a significant decrease in the rotation period or where

traditional lowland farmers encroach on neighbouring uplands to make up for low and often declining

yields on their lowland paddy fields. Increased land degradation leading to lower productivity may

also increase desertification as new lands are still threatened by slash and burn cultivation”. Perhaps

as much as 17 percent of the population and 29 percent of the total area of the country are involved in

a shifting cultivation system. Although this system is highly sustainable under certain conditions it

can deteriorate under others. The way in which it has been introduced and operated in Lao PDR has

meant that concession agriculture has also had negative environmental impact, in the form of

deforestation, loss of biodiversity and the negative environmental impacts of monoculture.

Encroachment on forest areas as a result of land concessions and increasing exploitation of the

agricultural and natural resource sector raises major social and environmental concerns. Although

responsibility for forestry has been split between MAF (production forests) and MONRE (protection

and conservation forests) since 2011, the basic strategy remains as articulated in the Forestry Strategy

2020, described in Annex 1 of this report (§A1.1.3). Both ministries underline a strong commitment to

fully involving local communities in sustainable forest management. The fisheries sector has high

potential, but both capture and culture fisheries are under threat. The former is at risk from

overfishing, inadequate protection of spawning grounds and diversion of water resources to other

uses; the latter is at risk in periods of both drought and floods. Livestock play a key role in livelihoods

and food security, but adequate fodder supply is a problem in many areas, and can place unsustainable

pressures on forest resources. Agricultural biological diversity (agrobiodiversity) is defined at the

32

genetic, species and ecosystem levels, and covers both cultivated and wild organisms. It comprises

five thematic components, namely: crop and crop-associated biodiversity; livestock; NTFPs and other

terrestrial food resources; aquatic resources; and household agriculture production systems (NABP

2004). Agrobiodiversity is a thematic area that is now being increasingly highlighted by the GOL – as

exemplified by the current updating of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

(NBS/AP).22

It is central to food security, ecosystem services, CC resilience and biodiversity more

generally. It is also key to the emphasis GOL is placing on the programmatic (ecosystem) approach.

All of the above areas of production and NRM must be viewed in the context of the further threats

posed by CC.

Coherence with government policy: This priority area is an amalgam of two goals of the ADS. The

first is Goal 3: “Sustainable production patterns, including the stabilization of shifting cultivation and

climate change adaptation measures, are adapted to the specific socio-economic and agro-ecological

conditions in each region”. The second is Goal 4: “Sustainable forest management will conserve

biodiversity and will lead to significant quantitative and qualitative improvements of the national

forest cover, providing valuable environmental services and fair benefits to rural communities well as

public and private forests and processing enterprises”. These goals have been amalgamated in the

CPF, because both can be viewed as basically concerned with sustainable NRM in different agro-

ecological zones. Stabilization of shifting cultivation and building CC resilience are key objectives

under this priority. The NAPA articulates the importance of management of forests, water and land

resources and biodiversity for a strong foundation towards sustainable use and management of natural

resources.

NRM and problems and challenges in this sector were identified as constraints in §3.1.7 above. CC

was identified as a constraint in §3.2.5.

Coherence with FAO’s mandate: This priority area is consistent with FAO’s Strategic Objective 2

(Increase and improve provision of goods and services from agriculture, forestry and fisheries in a

sustainable manner). There is also clear relevance to Regional Priority 3 (Enhancing equitable,

productive and sustainable natural resource management and utilization).

Coherence with UNDAF: This priority area is consistent with UNDAF Outcome 7 (By 2015, the

GOL ensures sustainable NRM through improved governance and community participation).

5.4 CPF Priority Area 4: Reduced risk and vulnerability to natural and other disasters through

prevention, preparedness, response and recovery

Lao PDR is prone to natural disasters, and as noted earlier, the incidence of adverse climate events

appears to have been increasing, with more frequent typhoons, droughts, heavy flash floods, and other

flooding, widely attributed to CC. Other, non-climatic, reasons for increased disaster incidence

include a growing number of flash floods resulting from upstream deforestation and land use change.

In addition to their direct effects, disasters interrupt market access and food supply, reduce income,

deplete savings, create indebtedness and erode livelihoods. Broader economic crises such as soaring

food prices may induce cumulative negative impact by reducing real incomes and forcing the poor

into unsustainable coping mechanisms (such as forced asset sales, increased indebtedness, decreased

food consumption, reduced dietary diversity, etc.). At the same time, disasters contribute to ecosystem

degradation and loss, including increased soil erosion, declining rangeland quality and salinization of

soils. Together, these multiple threats have a direct adverse effect on FNS and may threaten

development and poverty-reduction gains, thus compromising prospects for attaining national

22

This document is reviewed in Annex 1, §A3 below.

33

development goals. The higher risk of food insecurity among female-headed households and among

women in general needs to be taken into account in order to ensure that interventions in this regard are

more effective.

CC is expected to further increase the frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters. The

emerging evidence of CC is correlated with increased rainfall, which interacts with shifting

cultivation practices and forest degradation and may worsen soil erosion on sloping land. Rising

temperatures and increased rainfall will lead to significant changes in hydrology, affecting irrigation

and fisheries. The magnitude and frequency of what are now considered extreme events are projected

to grow, resulting in increased risk of flooding, particularly affecting agriculture and aquaculture. The

effects of adverse climatic events on rice productivity have been estimated to cause a 30 to 50 percent

decrease during a moderate flood year. CC-induced drought is also forecast to increase food

insecurity, especially among farmers living in the lowlands and agropastoralists (rising temperatures

may have an impact on livestock through declining fodder availability and through heat stress). In

total, it is estimated that around 188 000 households are at risk of food insecurity caused by drought

(ADS p.7). The consequences of extreme events and other long-term impacts of CC will affect the

food security and livelihoods of agriculture and natural resource-dependent populations in vulnerable

agro-ecological settings.

The ability to prevent disasters, or to anticipate, absorb, accommodate and/or recover from them in a

timely, efficient and sustainable manner is known as “resilience”. When the capacity to absorb and

react to shocks has been depleted by the magnitude and growing frequency of crises, people may be

forced into reliance on harmful or risky coping strategies, as described earlier. The determinants of

resilience include gender, age, educational/knowledge levels, socio-economic status and other factors

that affect access to resources. The diverse resilience levels along these parameters need to be

understood in order to ensure solid results in this regard.

A key result of increased investment in resilience will be that fewer people will be forced to rely on

outside assistance in times of disaster and crisis. In rural areas agriculture has a key role to play in

reducing risk and increasing resilience (yet humanitarian agencies remain biased against aid to

agriculture). Investments in agricultural growth are highly cost-effective means of reducing risk;

prevention is better than cure, especially given that local, national, regional and international

emergency responses are too often inadequate, delayed or inappropriate. There is also inadequate

concern for the impact of a supply-driven response to crises on the resilience of local producers and

markets, and an imbalance in efforts to support all four pillars of food security.

Coherence with government policy: The Disaster Management Strategy and Plan (2003-2020),

NAPA and the Strategy on Climate Change of the Lao PDR (SCC) (2010) all see agricultural

management and improved NRM as key elements of their respective strategies (see Annex 1).

Coherence with FAO’s mandate: This priority area is coherent with FAO’s Strategic Objective 5

(Increase the resilience of rural livelihoods to threats and crises) and with Regional Priority 4

(Improving capacity to respond to food and agricultural threats and emergencies).

Coherence with UNDAF: This priority area is closely related to UNDAF Outcome 8 (By 2015, the

GOL and communities better adapt to and mitigate CC and reduce natural disaster vulnerabilities in

priority sectors). Linking the sequence of prevention, preparedness and response creates great scope

for FAO to work in partnership with other UN specialized agencies, such as WFP and the United

Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in order to achieve synergy.

34

6. PRIORITY OUTCOMES AND OUTPUTS

Table 3 lists the four Priority Areas that have been developed in this document, together with a set of

Priority Outcomes under each of these. The following section will take this process further by listing a

set of outputs under each of the outcomes. The outcomes are arranged to try to form a logical

sequence, rather than to imply any order of priority. Wherever appropriate, the outputs are meant to

become part of the programming framework used by MAF and other ministries, and activities will be

closely coordinated with existing and pipeline activities supported by other development partners in

order to avoid needless duplication and overlap.

The relationships between the above Priority Outcomes and FAO’s Strategic Objectives/

Organizational Outcomes are shown in Annex 6.

Table 2. Priority Areas and Priority Outcomes of the CPF

Priority Area Priority Outcomes

1. Improved food and nutritional security

through enhanced policy, planning and

implementation

OUTCOME 1. Effective policy instruments and

mechanisms for attaining national food and nutritional

security goals are designed and deployed

2. Environmentally sustainable production

for the market by small farmers using value

chain approach

OUTCOME 2. Strengthened enabling regulatory and

institutional environment for improved access of

smallholder farmers to agricultural markets

3. Sustainable natural resource

management for crops, forests, fisheries

and livestock

OUTCOME 3. Strengthened governance – policies,

laws, strategies and community participation for

sustainable management of land, forestry, fisheries and

aquaculture resources

4. Reduced risk and vulnerability to natural

and other disasters through prevention,

preparedness, response and recovery

OUTCOME 4. Enhanced capacity of government and

communities to adapt to and mitigate climate change

and reduce natural disaster vulnerabilities related to

agriculture, forestry and fisheries

6.1 PRIORITY OUTCOME 1.1: Effective policy instruments and mechanisms for attaining

national food and nutritional security goals are designed and deployed

6.1.1 Priority Output 1.1: A national food and nutrition security strategy, policy, investment plan

and its governance framework developed

Rationale: There is currently no national food security policy statement or strategy in Lao PDR.23

An

earlier document with that name covered the period 2001-2010 but suffered from a number of

shortcomings, including lack of clarity regarding the four pillars of food security and how they were

to be addressed. The NNS 2020 is focused primarily on the health sector, and issues of food

availability are inadequately covered, prioritized or funded. Considerations of CC have also not been

integrated into the key policy areas on agriculture and food security.

Relevance: Production of a strategy document to guide future policy formulation in this key sector

scarcely needs justification. Such a strategy would also represent a crucial step towards honouring

existing commitments to realize the right to adequate food. The GOL ratified the International

23

A policy is a statement of intent or commitment that guides government action. An FNS policy would be a

short description of the governmental understanding of what the work on FNS entails and the goals to which it

aspires. A policy developed with all sectors involved and approved by the government would provide a

reference document for all stakeholders working on FNS. An FNS strategy would describe how the government

intends to reduce food insecurity and malnutrition.

35

Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in 2007, Article 11 of which recognizes the right

to food. The NNP reiterates this commitment. The government could use the new FNS strategy to

define how it intends to realize progressively the goal of making access to adequate food a basic

human right.

A decision to revise the Food Security Strategy has already been taken; following an interministerial

workshop on this subject in October 2012, a multisectoral working group was formed to lead the

revision process. The new national food security strategy will complement and add value to existing

strategies and plans (e.g. the NNS and sectoral and subsectoral strategies in relevant areas). It will be

complemented by an investment plan, and high-level coordination mechanisms will be created. The

National Committee on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication, based in the Prime Minister’s

office, has been mandated to coordinate and report on government action towards achieving MDG 1

targets; the committee has requested that FAO suggest specific functions for the high-level

coordinating body, and for its technical coordination unit to strengthen the capacity of committee

members and support staff to deal with issues of FNS. MAF has requested technical assistance from

FAO to produce the Food Security Strategy and Investment Plan, which will reflect earlier right-to-

food commitments.

Indicative activities:

Assembling a team that will address the issues in a comparable way to that used to develop

the ADS;

Building on earlier FAO-supported activities, particularly but not limited to the project,

Linking Information and Decision-Making to Improve Food Security, described in §4.1

above, in order to improve information flows that can improve FNS;

In response to other requests from MAF, suggesting an FAO programme to strengthen the

technical capacity of ministerial staff on a holistic understanding of FNS and create analytical

capacity to assess development trends from an FNS perspective;

Conducting carefully targeted research to answer key questions, such as why the incidence of

hunger has not fallen in line with the incidence of poverty, how best to address the issue of

insufficient intake of fats and edible oils, how best to promote crop diversification for FNS,

how the Livestock and Fisheries Department could best be aligned to improve human

nutrition by boosting intake of animal protein, fat and micronutrients, and how to address the

socio-economic factors associated with child undernourishment;

Developing a strategy for addressing the food needs of people with special dietary needs (e.g.

pregnant and lactating women, children) to ensure that they have access to the right nutrient-

rich foods, to provide them with training in nutritional needs and to screen and monitor for

stunting and underweight among children;

Establishing an appropriate food and nutrition information system and monitoring and

evaluation (M&E) framework to facilitate the work of the National Committee and the

technical coordination body (yet to be established) and to facilitate the requested evidence-

based planning and implementation of FNS activities. FAO could also help the GOL to put

into practice the human rights principles that underpin the right to food (e.g. participation,

accountability, transparency);

Exploring the linkages between social protection programmes, FNS and agricultural

investment.

36

6.1.2 Priority Output 1.2: M&E system for MAF developed in support of effective monitoring and

implementation of projects strengthened

Rationale: MAF is responsible for nationwide monitoring of agriculture projects. At present, M&E is

done on an ad hoc basis without centralized control and standards. This means progress in this sector

may not be accurately measured and appropriate indicators are lacking. It also means undue stress is

placed on staff when they attempt to monitor and evaluate.

Relevance: Having effective M&E systems in place is fundamental for MAF to accurately measure

and interpret the progress made in the agriculture sector. It is directly related to assessing the

effectiveness of programmes and projects in order to make adjustments that bring these back in line

with intended outcomes and goals.

Indicative activities:

Supporting institutionalization of an M&E system by establishing a unit in the Planning

Division/Centre for Agricultural Statistics within the Department of Planning and

Coordination of MAF for managing and implementing the system;

Developing, installing, testing and piloting the methodologies for quarterly and annual

monitoring and reporting and the tools for data collection, collation/processing, storage and

reporting, with a focus on implementation results against the planned targets and milestones

by MAF managers as well as DAFOs, PAFOs;

Training of some 260 MAF, PAFO and DAFO staff for pilot implementation;

Mainstreaming of the M&E system vis-à-vis donor-assisted projects and development

partners by applying the adaptation of the approach and methods of the system in selected

ongoing donor-assisted projects;

Developing a proposal for technical assistance to fully develop the M&E system.

6.1.3 Priority Output 1.3: Enhanced institutional and government staff capacity for the design and

use of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) for better planning and response with

FSN-related interventions.

Rationale: Food insecurity is a pressing concern for the Lao population in general, especially the

poorest households, and many communities still lack adequate coping mechanisms. There is a great

need for all producers and users of food security information to improve the quality of information

and analysis to ensure that decision-makers at all levels and in all capacities clearly understand the

realities faced by the poor and most vulnerable people, with a clear indication of possible response

options. It is still difficult to reach consensus on the food security situation in Lao PDR, including the

causes and risks to vulnerable families. Also, soaring food prices have shown clearly the need for

wider and more inclusive cooperation and decisive political action to tackle food insecurity, poverty

and malnutrition. Regular and timely data collection and sharing among key sectors in FSN is

considered a major constraint in Lao PDR. Information related to FSN is often partial, incomplete,

conflicting or based on varied criteria, despite efforts of the government to create a functional

information system. It is therefore imperative that food security analysts, practitioners, technical staff

and policy-makers are able to clearly identify the underlying causes of food insecurity and ensure that

resources are allocated in line with the actual needs of those suffering from hunger and poverty, based

on a common analytical framework and common set of indicators.

Relevance: The IPC methodology has the potential to bring together different stakeholders to build

technical consensus on the severity and magnitude of crises. As a “technical approach”, IPC aims to

provide decision-makers with timely, reliable and accessible information about the food security

situation in a country and a basis for designing medium- to longer-term policies to strengthen the

37

resilience of livelihoods and improve nutrition and food systems. The high levels of need and

complexity of the food insecurity situations in Lao PDR require evidence-based, strategically focused

and timely interventions that are build on sound information and analysis.

Indicative activities:

Developing IPC capacity through: (i) Forming a Technical Working Group (TWG)

comprising key stakeholders from the government, UN agencies, NGOs, academia and the

private sector; (ii) training 40-80 analysts at national and subnational levels; (iii) training a

pool of 6-12 trainers who can undergo the IPC global certification; and (iv) formalizing clear

linkages with response analysis frameworks. The TWG will receive comprehensive technical

training and will be responsible for and ensure utilization of the IPC analysis/results in

decision-making and more effective policy formulation;

Collaborating with the government on a comprehensive food security acute analysis (to be

conducted at least twice a year), complemented by a chronic analysis and a pilot urban

analysis (where applicable);

Building on existing food security monitoring and analysis platforms in Lao PDR. The IPC

Asia team, upon the request of the government, will provide technical advice and support to

the government-led FSN policy fora (e.g. sector working group meetings), offer technical

assistance to members of the coordination body (yet to be established) on FNS to enhance

their understanding and the use of IPC information/products, and introduce the dimension of

quality urban food security analysis.

Strengthening existing national FSN information systems, by means of the following steps: (i)

identifying data gaps for Acute and Chronic IPC classification at country level; (ii)

identifying methodology inconsistencies for the collection and analysis of individual

indicators; and (iii) defining steps and outputs for data preparation to optimize the

classification.

6.1.4 Priority Output 1.4: Strengthened institutional and staff capacity to analyse and produce

quality and timely FNS statistics in support of better informed policies and actions

Rationale: Agriculture-related information and data in Lao PDR are generally obtained from reports

of district and provincial offices, which are mostly production-related. Data collected consist of crop

statistics (i.e. planted area, production and the yield of major crops by province), livestock statistics

(i.e. population and production), irrigation data, forestry data, meteorology data, and market price

information from farmers. The generation of data is not yet systematic due to lack of standardization

of statistical concepts and procedures. Provincial and district staff face problems with budget and

equipment which hinder their ability to satisfactorily carry out their data collection work in the

villages. Accuracy, reliability and timeliness of data collected, including dissemination of

information, need to be improved. Lack of staff with competent knowledge and skills in agricultural

statistics, combined with inadequacy of tools and equipment for measuring, calculating, recording and

analysing the data, especially at the grassroots level, are major constraints in providing quality

information for decision-making.

Relevance: At present, data per se comprise only numerical figures, which do not provide adequate

information to decision-makers if they are not properly analysed. The current data management and

analytical capacities of the government are insufficient. The analysis of data – meaning the process of

inspecting, cleaning, transforming, and modelling data with the goal of highlighting useful

information, suggesting conclusions, and supporting decision-making – is the major gap in the data

management capacity of the GOL, in particular MAF’s Centre for Agricultural Statistics. It is

necessary to develop an intermediate technical analytical level that can link the baseline data

38

collection and data entry level with the higher decision-making level. In line with the priority of the

GOL to strengthen the organizational link between the line ministries and provinces, MAF is required

to establish a system of agriculture statistics based on uniform standards across the country. MAF has

also cited improvement of the agriculture statistics and information system for better policy design

and improved planning and M&E of programmes in the agriculture and forestry sector as among its

top priority areas for investments.

Indicative activities:

Supporting the government in setting up the appropriate institutional arrangements needed to

improve the working relations of all national institutions producing food and agriculture data

that generate: (i) the country’s regular yearly harmonized Food Balance Sheet (FBS); (ii)

consistent and reliable food security, nutrition and sex-disaggregated statistics, including the

hunger indicator (prevalence of undernourishment – MDG 1.9) for reporting progress of the

MDGs and the World Food Summit (WFS) targets at national level; and (iii) the Country

Food Security and Nutritional Status Report.

Providing on-the-job training workshop to technical staff from the Center for Agricultural

Statistics at MAF and the Lao Bureau of Statistics on food supply and utilization accounts for

the compilation of the yearly FBS using the FAO methodological framework, and FSN

analysis of national household survey (NHS) data (particularly targeting NHS experts from

the Lao Bureau of Statistics and other national institutions).

Conducting a “writeshop” for drafting the country’s Food Security and Nutritional Status

Report and holding a national seminar for the dissemination and discussion of the FSN

analysis findings among different FSN information stakeholders.

Providing technical assistance for compiling the country’s yearly FBS, reconciling FSN

analysis of NHS with FBS data, monitoring the establishment of sustainable national

statistical systems for the compilation of the country’s yearly FBS and estimates of the

prevalence of undernourishment, and support in finalizing and disseminating the Food

Security and Nutritional Status Report.

6.1.5 Priority Output 1.5: Support to small-scale, gender-sensitive food security and livelihood-

oriented agricultural programmes for vulnerable farm households through distribution of inputs,

transfer of technologies and best practices, including traditional knowledge

Rationale: Vulnerable farm households often lack the capital to make investments in technologies

and best practices which can improve their food security and livelihoods. Small funding schemes

(<USD 10 000) through FAO’s TeleFood projects are needed to allow district government offices (i.e.

agriculture extension) to assist communities to learn about new options, plan on how to apply these in

their livelihood systems and apply them to create concrete results.

Relevance: There are very few small-scale grants available that are appropriate for the financial and

project management skills of district and community levels. TeleFood grants are suitable for district

level agriculture officials to address local agriculture issues at the grassroots level. The goal is to

improve the livelihoods of poor families by enhancing agricultural production and promoting added

value, enabling them to produce more food and to generate cash income, thereby allowing them better

access to food. This goal is strengthened through the understanding that district level officials have of

agricultural systems and their constraints.

Indicative activities:

Providing direct assistance to poor and food-insecure communities such as small-scale

farmers, fisherfolk, herders or the rural poor of a particular village or community, or to local

39

institutions (e.g. schools and health centres) for launching new food production and income-

generating activities. More specifically, promoting small community-level projects of up to

USD 10 000 supporting small farmer group enterprises for improved household FSN. Such

projects, supported under FAO’s TeleFood Programme, are identified by farmers’ groups and

developed with the support of the provincial or district Agriculture and Forestry Office, which

provides technical support and supervision. The projects specifically targeting women,

households headed by women, small farmers, or youth groups are given higher priority.

Assisting families whose main livelihood is derived from cultivation as well as livestock

raising to improve swine production techniques and practices, as well as goat and poultry

production to support food sufficiency and generate income by: (i) selecting participating

families and establishing groups; (ii) providing inputs (i.e. piglets, goats, local chickens,

building materials, feeds, vaccines, vitamins and antibiotics); and (iii) providing technical

training/transfer of techniques.

Assisting farmers and communities in lowland areas to diversify food production for domestic

consumption and generate income through: (i) transferring techniques for vegetable

cultivation (e.g. lettuce, cabbage, kale, leek), mushroom growing and goat raising; and (ii)

providing inputs.

Assisting women and youth in poor farming households faced with food insufficiency,

shortage of inputs to operate small agriculture production units and lack of income to support

their children’s education and health needs through: (i) providing inputs; (ii) offering training

in vegetable cultivation and livestock raising; and (iii) setting up community funds and capital

savings for the target families.

Assisting farmer groups to increase income opportunities through improved fish (e.g. catfish)

raising techniques, to provide nutritious food for farmers and supplement food supply as part

of the village’s food security strategy. Farmer groups will be mobilized and build farm

demonstration sites. Inputs, marketing support and training, coaching and monitoring will be

provided to the farmer groups.

6.2 PRIORITY OUTCOME 2. Strengthened enabling regulatory and institutional environment

for improved access of smallholder farmers to agricultural markets

6.2.1 Priority Output 2.1: SPS-related legal framework further developed in compliance with

international standards

Rationale: Exports of agricultural products from Lao PDR increasingly face SPS restrictions from

trading partners. For example, China and Thailand want the expanding border trade to be brought

under strict regular market access requirements. Lao PDR lacks the capacity to effectively protect the

health of plants, animals and consumers against trade-related health hazards. At present, most

agricultural exports are destined to market segments in neighbouring countries where food safety and

quality requirements are still moderate or low. However, public and market requirements for quality

and safety in neighbouring countries are also increasing. Accessing more demanding market segments

in the region and elsewhere will generally require two elements: (i) a greater role for the private sector

in scaling up local production; and (ii) improved SPS management in the public and private sectors.

Relevance: SPS measures are critical to the country’s agricultural sector and export strategy.

Agriculture is the largest sector of the Lao economy, contributing 31 percent of GDP (in 2011),

employing about 70 percent of the population and representing about 5 percent of total registered

40

export value.24

In recent years the country has been successful in rapidly expanding exports and

imports of agriculture, food and forestry products. Most trade is with neighbouring countries: China,

Thailand and Viet Nam. Given the improved infrastructure in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS)

and availability of good land, there is significant potential for further growth of agricultural

production for exports. Increasing foreign trade invariably means increased exposure to the risk of

importing animal and plant pests and diseases with traded goods and increased risks to human health

from imported food. Effective SPS management in Lao PDR plays an increasingly important part in

the country’s competitiveness and investment climate and is an essential element of the GOL’s

compliance with the WTO principles and ASEAN recommendations.

Indicative activities:

Further developing the SPS legal framework, which started under the Trade Development

Facility Phase 1 (TDF-1). In this regard, technical support will be provided to the government

in drafting of legislation that could not be put on the legislative timetable for 2013 (i.e. plant

health and animal health primary legislation) to enable legal assistance throughout the whole

process, until approval, to ensure the technical and legal quality of the draft is not diluted.

These particular drafts are important as they provide the entire foundation for regulations and

measures in those areas. Specifically, previous legislations drafted under TDF-1 will be

reviewed and additional draft texts to ensure completion of a basic legislative framework for

SPS will be prepared with a view to facilitating implementation in 2015.

Conducting technical workshops and on-the-job trainings for Lao specialists on principles of

drafting SPS legislations. Support to drafting food safety-related legislation (i.e. Food Law,

decree on Food Safety Emergencies, decree/regulation of the National Codex Committee) and

developing guidelines for the food industry on requirements (schemes, GMP, Hazard

Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), etc.) and traceability and recall systems/plans will

be provided.

Supporting the drafting of plant health-related legislation (i.e. Plant Protection Law, decree on

pest outbreaks, emergency actions and notifications, decree/regulation on pest-free places of

production and production sites, regulation on post-entry quarantine stations) and

development of pest outbreak and emergency plans.

Providing support for the drafting of animal health-related legislation, such as the amendment

or revisions of the Law on Livestock Production and Veterinary matters, implementing

regulations for Decree on Movement Control, Decree on Import and Export of Fisheries and

Aquatic Products, and regulation on the establishment of animal disease-free area.

Reviewing and revising implementation of regulations approved in the period of 2010 to

present.

6.2.2 Priority Output 2.2: Improved inspection and testing regime at all points of AVC to meet

Codex standards

Rationale: Food that is tainted with dangerous additives, adulterants, chemical and biological

contamination or that contains residue high levels of agrochemicals or veterinary drugs is a dangerous

source of disease and food and nutritional insecurity.

Relevance: The value chain approach is at the heart of the ADS’s agricultural commercialization

strategy. Food safety can be compromised at any point in the AVC, yet food safety surveillance in

Lao PDR is presently at an embryonic stage. International SPS standards are high and regional

24 FAO website, http://faostat.fao.org accessed on 10 October 2011.

41

standards are becoming increasingly strict, so that food exports from Lao PDR will have to become

increasingly Codex-compliant if they are to gain entry to these high-value markets. Non-compliance

means the Lao PDR could be prevented from capitalizing on its regional comparative advantage in

areas such as animal production.

Indicative Activities:

Working with development partners to construct a well-equipped laboratory for proper testing

of foodstuffs to ensure that they are safe and fully compliant with Codex standards. Working

with the GOL to back up this laboratory with a complete inspection and enforcement regime,

involving surveillance of the agricultural marketing chains from field production, through

handling and marketing, processing and storage to preparation. Since only a handful of food

processing plants meet HACCP standards, assistance to others in applying these standards is

needed.

Introducing traceability schemes and promoting hygienic handling of animal products.

Strengthening the capacities for contributing to Codex standards-setting and implementing the

adopted Codex standards at the national level by means of the following activities: (i)

increasing the capacity for standard-setting through: enhanced understanding of the basic

concepts of risk analysis and the relationship between risk management and crisis

management in food safety; understanding of a food recall and traceability system and its

application in the national food control system; development and preparedness for food safety

emergency events with reference to food recall and traceability; and enhanced ability for

decision-making in response to food safety emergencies through hands-on exercises and

discussion; (ii) improving the ability to provide quality assurance data through practical

training courses for collecting data on contaminants and microbiological hazards in foods and

making proposal at Codex; (iii) strengthening the National Codex Structure and Codex

implementation at the various stages of the food chain by providing training to government

staff; and (iv) developing guidance documents, training modules and other materials.

6.2.3 Output 2.3 Strengthened institutional and technical capacity in the control and management of

FMD and other TAD

Rationale: Like aquatic foods, livestock and livestock products provide a wide range of macro and

micronutrients currently lacking in the diets of the poor. Lao PDR has a relatively underdeveloped

livestock sector with limited basic services, yet livestock are a critical part of the livelihoods of the

rural poor. The increased demand for livestock will present clear opportunities for reducing poverty

among poor smallholders. This will be achieved by improving incomes through commercialization of

smallholder livestock production. However, in order to fully participate in these market opportunities,

poor smallholders in Lao PDR will have to produce healthy and productive animals. Unfortunately,

they are currently constrained by diseases such as FMD and other TADs.

Relevance: Livestock play a prominent role in the Lao rural economy; however, most production

remains under traditional forms of low-input management. There are only a few commercial pig and

poultry enterprises located in major urban markets. More than 95 percent is in the hands of

smallholders and, in some upland and highland areas, sale of livestock accounts for more than half of

the household income. According to the ADS, livestock form an integral part of most family farm

systems, contributing almost half of average farm income. This underscores the importance of the

livestock sector to government planning for livelihoods and food security.

There is substantial informal trade in cattle and buffalo from Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar into

Thailand and Viet Nam. This informal trade is one of the primary reasons for the spread of FMD and

42

other TADs. The lack of understanding of the risks of FMD and other TADs, and fears among

smallholders and traders of excessive charges and restrictions, limit formal opportunities for

regulating interregional trade in livestock and livestock products as well as livelihood opportunities

for smallholders. Hence the control of TAD, especially FMD, is of paramount importance. Control of

FMD would require strengthening the capacity of the veterinary services on surveillance, diagnosis,

animal movement management, vaccination and public awareness.

Indicative Activities:

Addressing the problem that high incidence of FMD and other TADs and correspondingly

high animal mortality is a key constraint on the sector, while government veterinary services

are inadequate. This requires building on earlier animal disease projects addressing outbreak

response, surveillance networks, capacity for detection, laboratory networks and services, and

policy/strategy development for the sector.

Undertaking activities related to animal movement and informal livestock trade – improving

control and management of FMD through the application of the Progressive Control Pathway

(PCP) for FMD in Lao PDR, classifying the country’s progress in FMD risk management and

applying a risk reduction approach with the end view of developing national risk reduction

strategies that are supportive of the regional effort. Conducting awareness raising and

technical workshops in support of the application of the PCP-FMD, as well as developing a

structured series of steps to follow for control of FMD.

Improving understanding of production and market chains of FMD-susceptible species, as

well as animal movement patterns and the socio-economic impacts of FMD, by means of: (i)

reviewing animal movement patterns, studying supply chains of FMD-susceptible species and

determining socio-economic impacts; (ii) training national staff on animal movement patterns

and supplying chain studies; (iii) conducting animal movement and supply chain studies,

including impact studies.

Understanding the epidemiology of FMD and regularly updating the review of production and

market chains of FMD-susceptible species, including patterns of livestock movement, by

carrying out an FMD epidemiological study, including disease prevalence, incidence and risks

as well as pathways. In support of the study, national staff will be trained on conducting an

FMD epidemiological study, including training in managing disease information systems.

Strengthening the enabling environment for FMD control activities through technical support

for improving the legal framework, information system, cold chain system25

, public-private

partnerships, and field and laboratory diagnoses.

Providing technical assistance to the government, based on the studies undertaken, to develop

a risk-based FMD control plan at the national level, including the preparation of a

contingency plan for FMD and other TADs, and emergency preparedness and response

systems.

Undertaking such additional activities as: (i) exploring the potential for training and

deploying “paravets” and “agrivets”, which has proved successful elsewhere in tackling the

more common animal diseases and providing routine inoculations; (ii) exploring ways of

tightening up the quarantine system to limit the spread of animal disease; (iii) exploring ways

of improving quality as part of a package of measures to tap into Lao PDR’s livestock

production potential; (iv) finding ways to address the fodder supply constraint, such as

incorporating fodders into a programme of crop diversification in ways that do not seriously

impinge on food access for humans; (v) addressing the problem of imbalanced livestock

nutrition – a major factor in low livestock productivity – by designing a ration-balancing

25

The system for keeping critical supplies at the proper temperature is called the cold chain.

43

programme at farmgate level that will contribute both to more efficient use of available

natural resources and to increased household income; and (vi) assessing current and future

demand and availability of livestock feedstuffs at national level using tools FAO has

developed for this purpose.

6.2.4 Priority Output 2.4: Strengthened legal and regulatory framework for agricultural inputs to

promote organic agriculture and GAP

Rationale: Development of GAP standards and recognized organic certification is hampered at

present by a weak legal regulatory framework.

Relevance: The ADS promotes GAP and organic agriculture in certain circumstances because

embracing them would allow Lao PDR to tap into markets where a price premium is paid. However,

this requires the adoption of rigorous standards and an internationally recognized certification system,

which Lao PDR has yet to develop.

Indicative Activities:

Providing assistance to formulation of an agricultural law that relates to such issues as crop

seed quality, pesticide use and other agricultural inputs.

Working with the Department of Agriculture to have its existing regulations issued as

Decrees, so as to give them the full force of law.

Building capacity to enforce regulations on plant protection and plant quarantine.

Helping to build a credible certification scheme for organic produce and GAP.

6.2.5 Priority Output 2.5: Farmers trained to produce GAP/IPM-certified agricultural products and

farmer-market linkages developed

Rationale: There is an increasing global demand for agriculture products that are certified as safe.

Farmers now have access to both chemical fertilizers and pesticides but lack the knowledge on how to

use these appropriately and on what constitutes GAP. Improvements in this area are needed if Lao

agricultural products are to reach markets and consumers concerned about the issue.

Relevance: Increased awareness among Lao producers is needed regarding GAP/IPM if the changes

needed in production are to be made. At present farmers follow no specific measures or protocols

when planting, harvesting or processing agricultural products and very few understand farm-market

linkages at the district, regional, national and international levels.

Indicative activities:

Strengthening and expanding existing IPM field programmes, including field trainings of

trainers and farmers, and strengthening the pesticide regulatory framework and policy reform,

with FAO assistance.

Strengthening and expanding the IPM field programme in Lao PDR to reach larger numbers

of farmers in areas prone to heavy pesticide abuse, beginning with work on fruits.

Maintaining and strengthening a high quality level of ongoing training through monitoring of

effectiveness and refresher training.

Testing biological control agents.

Strengthening the pesticide regulatory framework and reforming policy reform in Lao PDR

through the following: (i) preparing a Pesticide Law; (ii) assisting in the review of procedures

for importation of pesticides; (iii) conducting needs assessment for pesticide quality control

44

and; (iv) developing specific case studies on addressing illegal transboundary transport of

pesticides that are subject to the Rotterdam Convention.

Supporting development of a licensing scheme for pesticide retailers and assisting in the

establishment and strengthening of pesticide residue-testing facilities in Lao PDR.

Carrying out the following activities on GAP: (i) surveying markets and market requirements

for agriculture produce outputs of Lao PDR; (ii) sensitizing governments to the enabling

factors required to support value chain development (surveys, studies, workshops) and

developing accreditation and certification systems that meet market requirements; (iii)

developing food safety regulations; (iv) establishing farmer field schools (FFS) to train

farmers in GAP and in the application of IPM techniques; (v) using farmer business schools

to train farmers in agribusiness practices; (vi) offering training programmes and pilots to

demonstrate good harvesting and post-harvest management practices to farmers, including

handling, treatment, bulk and retail packaging as appropriate, transportation and storage.

6.2.6 Priority Output 2.6: Institutional and individual capacities of AVC actors (public, private

groups, farmer groups) enhanced in the adoption of sustainable and innovative approaches and

practices to support the greening of selected AVC, including post-harvest handling and processing,

market linkages and logistics

Rationale: According to Department of Agriculture estimates, on-farm post-harvest losses in paddy

and maize production alone amount to 10-15 percent. Losses are higher with semi-perishable and

perishable crops. Losses such as these are found at all points in the value chain

Relevance: Reducing physical losses in the AVC is intrinsic to agricultural modernization, which is

an explicit aim of Goal 2 of the ADS. Such losses not only represent a huge reduction in food

availability, but also increase transaction costs for all actors in the value chain, thus acting as a

disincentive to participation.

Indicative Activities:

Identifying appropriate post-harvest technologies – especially for rice, maize and vegetables –

that will increase agricultural productivity by reducing on-farm losses.

Improving on-farm storage.

Identifying more appropriate methods of packaging that prevent loss and damage during

transport and handling.

Exploring ways of reducing delays in transit, which can reduce quality of the product and

needlessly tie up capital in goods in transit.

Researching existing AVCs to identify where major losses can be eliminated and savings

made.

Working with farmers’ groups and the private sector to reduce market distortions, addressing

market failure by facilitating competition, and brokering farmer-trader-processor partnerships

and forward contracting.

45

6.3 PRIORITY OUTCOME 3: Strengthened governance – policies, laws, strategies and

community participation for sustainable management of land, forestry, fisheries and

aquaculture resources

6.3.1 Priority Output 3.1: Concession agriculture rationalized within a general land tenure policy

framework and regulations

Rationale: The importance of this issue for food security was highlighted in the 2012 GHI Report,

which noted that: “High levels of hunger are generally found in those countries and regions where

access and property rights to land, water, and energy are limited or contested ... in seven countries,

land deals account for more than 10 percent of total agricultural area.” One of these seven is Lao

PDR. The National Land Policy has yet to be completed but concession agriculture and land tenure is

currently included.

Relevance: Land tenure policy in Lao PDR is currently in a state of flux. As noted in the ADS,

between 1995 and 2007 the GOL’s flagship Land and Forest Allocation Programme (LFAP) was

meant to formalize land use rights for rural people, but basically failed to do so. The subsequent Land

Titling Programmes were successful in the urban and peri-urban areas, “while the main mechanism

for rural areas, participatory land use planning and land allocation, has not been able to deliver

secured land use rights for rural people” (ADS, p.19). In order to counter this, the National Land

Management Authority (NLMA) Decree No 564 enabled the issuance of land titles for village land in

three categories: individual, collective (or community) and state. However, many issues remain to be

resolved, particularly on the question of agricultural concessions. GOL has requested FAO assistance

to apply Participatory Negotiated Territorial Development (PNTD) to address these issues. A draft

project proposal has been created, and resources are currently being mobilized.

The National Assembly and MONRE are currently drafting a land policy; FAO has assisted this effort

by holding a workshop with these two agencies, MAF, farmers’ organizations and other stakeholders

to present the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and

Forests in the Context of National Food Security. This document was adopted by the Committee on

World Food Security (CFS), and it provides information on best practices and international standards

on these issues.26

The workshop participants recognized that it could provide useful inputs to Lao

PDR in drafting of the land policy and related laws and regulations, and requested support for

translating the document into Lao; this translation is underway.

A large area of land is being provided to foreign investors for concession agriculture, and this has

created environmental and social concerns as well as conflicts with local communities over land

tenure and access rights. In this regard, the GOL may wish to consider the Voluntary Guidelines as a

reference tool and their implementation as an opportunity to support the adoption of a broader socially

equitable governance framework. In developing policy in this area, the GOL may wish to engage in

the ongoing consultative process led by the CFS around principles for responsible agricultural

investments which build upon and further the Principles for Responsible Agricultural Investment that

Respects Rights, Livelihoods and Resources: Synoptic Version, developed by FAO, the International

Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the UN Conference on Trade and Development

(UNCTAD) and the WB in 2010.27

26

See CFS-FAO 2012 27

See FAO-IFAD-UNCTAD-WB Group 2010

46

Indicative Activities:

Upon request of the government, providing technical support in collaboration with relevant

development partners in the formulation of land tenure and concession policies and regulation

based on the above two documents.

Using these two sets of guidelines to establish a framework for a “win-win” situation in which

the benefits of direct foreign investment can be attained without negative impact on the

natural resource base (particularly land and forests) or the land tenure, access rights,

livelihoods and health of local rural women, children and men.

6.3.2 Priority Output 3.2: Capacity for participatory land and other NRM at the local level improved

through promotion and use of field-tested, gender-sensitive, participatory development tools and

approaches

Rationale: The emphasis on conversion of land to capital, coupled with the elimination of shifting

cultivation, creation of reservoirs and dams for hydropower development, and promotion of

commercial tree plantations to increase forest cover (to achieve the target of 65-70% tree coverage

from the currently estimated 41%) will increase the demand for land through ownership, lease, or

concession. Different players at various levels, including governmental, private sector and civil

society, will become interested and involved in land and natural resource-related issues. Indeed, a

recent inventory estimated 2.5 million ha of land concessions outside Vientiane Capital. In such an

environment it is important to secure the rights of the local communities to have access to the natural

resources in order to secure their livelihoods. Several approaches are now available to secure the

rights and needs of local communities and grassroots stakeholders during the allocation of territory

and determination of access to natural resources.

However, many of the challenges and risks seem to be the result of underdeveloped institutional

capacities, an apparently unclear division of authority between the central and provincial levels of

government, and weak coordination and competing interests across the key central government

agencies and ministries (e.g. MAF, the Ministry of Energy and Mining (MEM), MONRE and MPI).

There is also a gap between the intentions of some new policies being pursued and the existing

institutional capacities to implement such ambitious policies in a coherent and effective manner in the

best interests of Lao PDR and its people. Also, when there are many competing authorities at the

central and provincial levels on issues involving land, the result can be a void of authority.

Relevance: The current five-year plan (7th NSEDP) calls for sustainable development by emphasizing

economic development along with cultural and social progress, preservation of natural resources and

protection of the environment. In order to achieve the goals of land management, planning, protection,

development and use, the land throughout the country is classified as follows: (i) land designated for

the protection of natural resources and environment; (ii) land designated for agricultural production;

and (iii) land designated for residential purposes, infrastructures and other activities.28

In order to

increase the role of land and natural resources in the national economy, the government has identified

the following priorities: (i) preparing land and natural resource policies; (ii) preparing laws on land

and NRM; and (iii) preparing a master plan for land and NRM to use as a guide to lead the

implementation in accordance with the policy and laws and regulations.

The GOL initiated efforts to link tenure security and natural resources planning and management at

district level with the overall vision as highlighted in the draft Land Policy Document under

preparation. The government further recognizes the need to enhance the decision-making capacity of

28

Draft National Land Policy, MONRE, 5 November 2012

47

MONRE and other related institutions in land management and administration and further develop

institutional and local capacities to address the management of land and other natural resources.

Indicative Activities:

Working with the government to strengthen administrations dealing with land use

management and resource development and redirect central planning approaches to put local

users in the centre of government interest. These efforts will be harmonized through a field-

tested approach using both participatory and negotiated techniques for inclusion of diverse

stakeholders.

Introducing simple, low-cost planning techniques to foster active participation and consensus

building (e.g. PNTD / Integrating Gender Equity in Territorial Issues (IGETI) approach) and

promoting a negotiated territorial development approach in support of MONRE’s land use

planning responsibilities at local, provincial and national levels.

Establishing a model for participatory, gender-sensitive, negotiated land use and resource

development plan at district level with involvement of all stakeholders from villages to

kumban to district and provincial structures. Gender-sensitive diagnostic tools developed will

be used to gather socio-economic information about different views/interests of stakeholders

on the use and management of natural resources. Actual land resources use map will be

produced including inputs from the local stakeholders. Adequate negotiation mechanism will

be promoted, documented and recognized by different authorities and participatory

development tools tested in target villages. Participatory Land Use and Resources

Development Plan will be produced, documented, adopted and publicized.

Upgrading managerial as well as technical capacities of district, province and central

institutions in order to deal with the participatory natural resources development plan through

on-the-job training on the proposed approach with emphasis on the subsidiary role techniques.

Assisting the government in developing and setting up a local structure (a committee or

council) which will monitor implementation and ensure its legal recognition by the different

vertical administration levels as well as handling future conflicts or disputes in allocation or

boundary disputes.

Implementing sufficient training, with particular attention to gender dimensions. The training

will include PNTD/IGETI and FAO FFS approaches.

6.3.3 Priority Output 3.3: Enhanced ability of communities and government stakeholders for

inclusive community-based forest management

Rationale: The latest progress report on the MDGs noted that progress towards attaining Goal No 7a

(“reverse the loss of environmental resources”) is categorized as being “seriously off track”. Progress

on MDG 7a has so far been extremely disappointing because of loss of natural forest cover. This

situation clearly must be reversed. Experience from other countries indicates that involving village

communities in managing and conserving forests, while permitting them to sustainably harvest timber

and NTFPs, can be instrumental in reversing loss of forest resources. One consistently problematic

area in CPF priority area management is inclusion of local people in management decisions and

aligning livelihood improvement activities with conservation objectives.29 At one time, Lao PDR was

a pioneer in establishing the rights of local people to sell and benefit from timber in a manner far more

progressive than in most other countries. Reinstating this approach could become a powerful step

towards reducing poverty and increasing FNS.

29

Are protected areas working? An analysis of forest protected areas. (WWF 2004)

48

Relevance: Both MAF and MONRE continue to base forest policies on the Forestry Strategy 2020.

This strategy details elaborate rules that were developed to guide villagers’ involvement in forestry,

but these have so far proved ineffectual. As the ADS points out: “Land use and management

agreements and land use zoning maps for the various categories of village forest and agricultural land

prepared under the LFAP have been virtually disregarded in the process of approving concessions and

contract farming arrangements. These agreements – while being valuable tools for village

management purposes – will not have official recognition in any future registration of communal land

areas such as village use forest or village protection forests” (ADS p.19). “Communities will be more

closely involved in sustainable forest management” following the Forestry Strategy 2020 (ADS p.

38).

Indicative Activities:

Piloting and promoting a variety of approaches to address the magnitude and diversity of the

forest resource depletion and degradation and strengthening technical capacities of forest

practitioners for applying cost-effective natural restoration.

Introducing approaches such as Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) of forest ecosystems

(an area in which FAO has substantial regional experience) to restore fallow areas and stop

forest fires, in partnership with the local communities.

Exploring possibilities for introducing community forestry based on the experience of pilot

projects conducted in-country and on experience from the region.

Exploring the potential for ANR using villagers as forest guardians, including assisting the

government in taking steps to mainstream site-specific ANR in forestry policy as a cost-

effective forest restoration approach that can provide income-generating opportunities for

forest-dependent communities.

In collaboration with national partners, identifying suitable sites for establishment of model

sites and, in close consultation with the participating local communities, designing a detailed

work plan (including calendar of activities, fire management plan, and training schedules) for

the ANR model sites and developing a management plan including post-project maintenance

strategy.

Conducting field-based surveys on all model sites and documenting the impact of ANR on: (i)

forest biodiversity; (ii) water quality and regime; and (iii) carbon sequestration, and

documenting the ANR cost-effectiveness.

Strengthening the capacities of forestry practitioners, NGO workers and community

representatives by providing training on the basic principles of ANR application, site

management and monitoring.

Developing training materials for personnel of forestry and priority area management entities,

NGO workers and community representatives and adapting them to local conditions.

Developing and documenting ANR-based payments for environmental services and carbon

offsets through: (i) undertaking a review of existing community-based incentives and

proposing suitable models according to the structure, needs and possibilities of the ANR

model sites and the communities living around them; (ii) identifying possible beneficiaries of

ecosystem services (i.e. public enterprises, private companies, ecotourism service providers)

and engaging in discussions and negotiations in order to define suitable payment mechanisms;

(iii) in collaboration with selected beneficiaries and service providers, developing incentives

for community participation in ANR; and (iv) documenting successful payment mechanisms

in ANR and livelihoods with best practice cases.

49

In close collaboration with national counterparts, developing national policy briefs on ANR

application based on the documented ANR effect, ANR cost-effectiveness assessments, and

the ANR-based livelihood incentives.

Working with GOL to further institutionalize, operationalize and decentralize the use of

financial resources from the forest sector quotas under the Forestry Development Fund, as

indicated in the ADS (p.38).

Exploiting the possibilities of agroforestry on degraded forest land, possibly under a

“leasehold forestry” approach.

Assisting forest communities in forming user groups and associations to facilitate the process

of drawing up management plans (in consultation with DAFOs) that will enable communities

to exercise their rights regarding sustainable harvesting, processing and sale of timber and

NTFPs as recognized under the Forestry Law and various regulations.

Introducing Community-Based Enterprise Development (CBED) for non-timber forest

products based on the Market Analysis and Development approach, which is

a participatory training methodology that aims to assist people in developing forest-based

income-generating enterprises while conserving natural resources. (All of this must be closely

coordinated with ongoing preparations for the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and

forest Degradation (REDD+) initiative.)

6.3.4 Priority Output 3.4: Enhanced capacity of communities, local and central administration in

design, prioritization and implementation of CC adaptation and disaster management measures in

targeted wetlands

Rationale: Wetlands are considered the most biologically diverse of ecosystems, serving as home to a

wide range of plant and animal life. They play a number of economically beneficial roles, principally

water purification, flood control, and shoreline stability. Rural communities and the Xe Champone

and Beung Kiat Ngong wetlands in which they live are vulnerable to CC impacts. Both the farming

communities and the wetlands have a high level of exposure and sensitivity to CC impacts.30

CC

vulnerability is increased by the low adaptive capacities of both the communities and the wetlands.31

The interdependent nature of the livelihoods of these communities and their surrounding wetlands

poses both challenges and opportunities with respect to adapting to CC and its impacts going forward.

Relevance: Lao PDR joined the Convention on Wetlands (the Ramsar Convention) in 2010, and two

areas in the country have already been placed on the List of Wetlands of International Importance. At

the time, the Minister for Water Resource and Environment Administration (WREA) was quoted as

stating that “The Government of Lao PDR decided to join the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands to

ensure the effective and efficient use of our natural resources, helping to achieve sustainable socio-

economic development, poverty reduction and improved livelihoods in parallel with environmental

protection.” The successor ministry to WREA, MONRE, has requested FAO assistance in the

preparation and implementation of a project for its management of the larger of these two wetlands,

the Xe Champone in Savannakhet Province (12 400 ha). Not only is this an area rich in wildlife –

including a number of endangered species – but it also supports the livelihoods of local people,

30

Defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) respectively as “the nature and degree to

which a system is exposed to significant climatic variations” and “the degree to which a system is affected,

either adversely or beneficially, by climate-related stimuli” 31

Defined by IPCC as “the ability of a system to adjust to climate change (including climate variability and

extremes), to moderate the potential damage from it, to take advantage of its opportunities, or to cope with its

consequences”

50

including such occupations as fishing, firewood collection, livestock rearing and traditional rice

cultivation (IUCN 2011a).

Wetlands, which are naturally sensitive to floods and droughts, will be increasingly affected as

hydrological regimes of river basins change. Frequent and extreme flooding may expand wet season

fish habitat but the accelerated closure and fragmentation of permanent water bodies, exacerbated by

longer and more severe droughts, is expected to result in an overall reduction in numbers of fish and

other aquatic wildlife essential to local livelihoods. Other environmental functions or services

provided by wetlands, including flood control, ground water recharge and water storage and release,

will also be increasingly undermined by climate-induced degradation or loss of permanent water

bodies and will in turn undermine the adaptive capacity of riparian and downstream communities. The

adaptive capacity of the ecosystem itself is low and it is hard to control sedimentation from the

upstream catchment but in the wetlands there is the potential to stabilize banks through re-vegetation

and to enhance protective forest cover surrounding permanent water bodies. While there is awareness

within the government and at community level of the critical role wetlands play in food security,

income generation and the productivity of associated agricultural systems, other less tangible

environmental services such as flood control, water storage, etc., provided by wetlands are not

properly valued. General CC awareness is also limited and policy guidance remains general.

The National Climate Change Strategy (2010) confirms that, at present, there have been only limited

assessments, analysis or projections regarding the potential impacts of CC on the physical and social

environment of Lao PDR, due to the lack of long-term climatic data for reconstructing climatic

history to support the projection of future climatic trends. However, trends indicate that the dry season

is becoming longer, that droughts are more frequent and more severe, and that the incidence of

unusual and extreme flood events is escalating. Similar trends have been identified in Southeast Asia

and the Mekong Basin area.

In 2009, NAPA identified agriculture as one of the four sectors highly vulnerable to CC and requiring

priority adaptation measures. The other sectors are forestry, water resources, and health. As noted in

NAPA, the main threat to Lao PDR from CC seems to be increased variability of rainfall, with more

frequent and more severe droughts (or extended dry seasons) and floods. In the case of agriculture,

drought most seriously affects rainfed production, often leading to crop failure; floods adversely

affect both rainfed and irrigated agriculture. In all cases household food security is put at serious risk.

Indicative Activities:

Monitoring ground conditions and producing a wetlands management plan with the full

participation of the local community and in partnership with government institutions and

other development partners active in the area (Japan International Cooperation Agency

(JICA), Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) and several international NGOs).

Establishing periods of the year when the wetlands can, and cannot, be used for economic

activities such as fishing or livestock grazing without damage to the ecosystem.

Exploring the potential for ecotourism, to provide funds to compensate local communities for

loss of livelihoods resulting from conservation.

Involving local communities fully in management of the wetlands and raising awareness of

the benefits of conservation.

Ensuring, with full community participation, reduction of threats to the ecosystem, such as the

use of harmful agrochemicals like pesticides, through alternative approaches to pest control,

especially IPM.

Conducting climate vulnerability assessments of targeted wetlands sites. Currently, in Lao

PDR, the available information on CC and vulnerability to CC (e.g. through national

51

communications or the NAPA) lacks specificity. The level of knowledge and understanding

of the main elements of CC vulnerability with respect to the agriculture and water resources

sector is very general at the national level and even more so at the local level. This hampers

stakeholders’ abilities to design targeted, cost-effective CC adaptation strategies and

solutions. In this regard, a comprehensive and participatory climate vulnerability assessment

in each of the two targeted wetlands sites will be conducted. This detailed assessment will

cover climate impact on the ecosystem and the services it provides and on agriculture

practiced in and around the wetlands site. The assessment will be conducted using a

participatory vulnerability assessment tool or guidelines to be developed by the project, which

will build on baseline surveys and initial vulnerability assessments conducted by the Mekong

River Commission (MRC), the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN),

and FAO. Training on CC and climate vulnerability concepts and on the use of the tool will

be conducted prior to the assessments. The training will build the necessary technical

capacities of different stakeholders but will also raise general awareness about the importance

of wetlands, their contribution to climate resilience and the general project objectives. An

initial compilation of available data, including the information generated by baseline projects,

hydrometeorological data collected by MONRE's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology

(DMH) and local agricultural and disaster-related statistics, will be the starting point for these

detailed vulnerability assessments.

Developing CC adaptation and risk reduction measures. Climate adaptation and disaster

management are not yet fully considered and integrated into the wetlands management and

agricultural development activities for these sites. In this context, FAO will work with the

government to develop appropriate CC adaptation and risk reduction measures, building on

the baseline and initial comprehensive vulnerability assessments to: (i) adapt farming

practices and infrastructure without causing negative impacts on the wetlands ecosystem; (ii)

improve livelihoods to further consolidate climate resilience; (iii) help prepare for and

respond to immediate and increasingly recurrent climate-induced natural disasters; and (iv)

mitigate climate impacts on the ecosystem itself and maximize the contribution of wetlands to

the resilience of local farmer communities.

Integrating CC adaptation and risk management measures into critical planning processes.

There is increasing recognition of the need to address the impact of CC and the increasing

incidence of natural disasters through these site-specific plans, corresponding provincial and

district development plans or management plans covering wider landscapes (e.g. protected

areas, river basins). The lack of practical experience in CC adaptation and disaster

management has prevented the effective mainstreaming of these strategies in local planning

processes. Furthermore, local development plans are generally compilations of sectoral plans,

lacking the necessary integrated response to climate impact. In this regard, FAO will assist

the government in the integration of tested and cost-effective CC adaptation and risk

management measures into critical planning processes at local and national levels. A tool for

participatory CC adaptation and disaster risk management planning and M&E in wetlands

will be developed and trainings will be provided to local stakeholders directly involved in the

planning activities. Principles of adaptive planning will be included in the tool and in the

corresponding training, to ensure that local stakeholders are able to review, adapt and improve

plans based on implementation results and changing conditions.

Supporting the government in developing a national CC adaptation and disaster management

programme for wetlands that will inform and facilitate the implementation of existing

national water resources, agriculture and disaster management action plans and policies and

national CC adaptation plans or programmes for the water resources and agriculture sectors.

52

Past and future national wetlands inventories32

will help identify and prioritize sites to be

included in the national CC adaptation and disaster management programme for wetlands.

6.3.5 Output 3.5 Fisheries and Aquaculture: An implementation strategy for capture fisheries and

aquaculture developed

Rationale: After rice, fisheries provide the second most important food source in Lao PDR. The

LECS4 data (2007/08) show that the population in Lao PDR is overwhelmingly engaged in capture

fisheries, with 74 percent of all households in the country having fished in the previous 12 months.

Unlike rice, aquatic foodstuffs provide a wide range of macro and micronutrients which improve

dietary balance with significant health benefits, particularly for children and for pregnant and lactating

women. Demand for fish is likely to increase faster than the current 2.3 percent population growth

because of dietary preference and rising incomes.

Relevance: Lao PDR has developed the National Strategy for Fisheries from the present to 2020.

With the assistance of FAO, the GOL developed the Fisheries Law which was ratified by the Lao

National Assembly in June 2009. This enabling legislation allows for smoother implementation of the

national strategy. The government has recently promulgated its decentralization policy which will

give more autonomy and responsibility for fishery and aquaculture resource management to district

levels. While this presents opportunities for more active and agile implementation at local levels, it

also presents serious challenges given local capacity in terms of research, technologies, experiences

and implementation.

Previous agriculture policy documents have identified aquaculture development and promotion of

aquaculture in more remote or rural areas as a priority for rural development. However, a clear

strategy has not been elaborated for how aquaculture development can be adapted to respond to the

differing opportunities and needs of peri-urban areas as well as more remote communities. An

improved strategy that is more demand-driven will ensure that rural development activities take the

needs of these sectors into account and ensure their effective integration in provincial development

planning.

Indicative activities:

Working with GOL to develop a strategic implementation plan in line with the new fishery and

aquaculture legislation and Strategic Plan 2020 for the sustainable management of fisheries and

aquaculture. Activities in this regard would include: preparing a plan to develop human and financial

capacities; developing a strategy to address CC and variability in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors;

reviewing subsectoral policies; and preparing policy briefs to assist in updating of existing policies.

6.4 PRIORITY OUTCOME 4: Enhanced capacity of government and communities to adapt to

and mitigate climate change and reduce natural disaster vulnerabilities related to agriculture,

forestry and fisheries

6.4.1 Priority Output 4.1: Enhanced capacity of relevant stakeholders to mainstream DRRM

approaches into specific sectoral (agriculture, forestry, fisheries) and cross-sectoral (nutrition, food

security, food safety) plans, policies and legal frameworks

32

The most recent inventory of wetlands in Lao PDR (compiled by Claridge, G.F. 1996) conducted by IUCN

identified 30 major (above 8 ha) wetlands, covering approximately one million ha. The listed wetlands are

primarily located in the more densely populated lowlands of the country. The report highlights the importance of

wetlands in terms of community livelihoods, environmental services and cultural heritage. MONRE, in

collaboration with the MRC and IUCN, was planning to conduct a new wetlands inventory in 2013.

53

Rationale: In recent years important progress has been made in Lao PDR in terms of moving away

from an exclusive focus on disaster response towards creating an integrated approach to DRR and

DRM, linked to poverty reduction, food and nutritional security and climate change. Nevertheless, a

great deal remains to be accomplished. There is as yet no overarching law on DRM, and the

institutional mandate is correspondingly weak. At the institutional level the situation is patchy,

although organization at the central level has been much improved. Some of the wealthier provinces

have good institutional frameworks in place, but the opposite is true in the poorer provinces, which

means that the wealthier provinces are effectively in a position to claim a disproportionate share of

resources in an emergency situation. Institutions are weakest at district level. Agricultural institutions,

if strengthened as key partners in DRM, can be catalytic at decentralized levels to enhance outreach of

DRM initiatives to vulnerable smallholder farmers. In order to promote outreach and impact of the

national DRM plan with equality across districts, sector-specific roles and responsibilities need to be

defined in line with the national plan, and capacities built accordingly.

Relevance: A new priority for the GOL, as clearly reflected in the National Strategic Plan for

Disaster Risk Management 2003-2020 (1139/MLSW of 18 April 2003), in MAF’s new ADS 2011-

2020, particularly programmes 1, 3, 5 and 7, and in Lao PDR’s new strategy for CC, is to develop

an integrated approach to DRM and DRR linked to poverty reduction, FMS and the emerging

challenges of CC.

In order to systematically strengthen capacities and delivery mechanisms for DRM in agriculture,

MAF gives first priority to preparing a national Plan of Action to frame and guide the implementation

of proactive DRM within agriculture over the next five years.

Indicative Activities:

Supporting the government in the formulation of the Plan of Action for DRR through a

participatory stakeholder process.

Preparing a technical paper on DRR and DRM to be used for the technical

discussions/stakeholder consultations with key actors in agriculture and disaster management

at both the national and subnational levels.

Working with the government to prepare four case studies in selected districts with different

hazard exposure and vulnerability profiles to inform the process from the bottom up.

Providing assistance on developing a Plan of Action on DRR and DRM for agriculture,

fisheries and forestry.

Updating the existing Disaster Management Plan, incorporating missing elements such as

aquaculture. This includes comparing the Disaster Management Strategy to 2020, NAPA and

SCC for any mutual inconsistencies.

Assisting in the production of a new, more comprehensive, Plan of Action for the Disaster

Plan that takes recent developments and new knowledge into account and takes

implementation to 2020.

Building capacity in the weaker provinces (i.e. weaker in this regard) to have better

institutional frameworks for disaster, using lessons learned in the stronger provinces.

6.4.2 Priority Output 4.2: Developed institutional and technical staff capacity at national, provincial

and district levels for agroclimatic monitoring, analysing and disseminating information related to

climate variability and its impact on the agriculture sector

54

Rationale: In Lao PDR, agriculture is the most important sector in the national economy,

representing about 70 percent of GDP and 80 percent of employment. Crop production is mainly

based on the three types of paddy cultivation, i.e. lowland and upland – both rainfed – and irrigated.

Paddy also represents 80 percent of total land area suitable for cultivation. Under normal conditions,

Lao PDR is regarded as self-sufficient in paddy production to cover basic food requirements.

However, food self-sufficiency at national level is highly uncertain and very much dependent on

climatic events such as droughts, floods and typhoons. Trends indicate that the dry season is

becoming longer, that droughts are more frequent and more severe, and that the incidence of unusual

and extreme flood events is escalating. At present, government staff at all levels lack the capacity to

effectively monitor, analyse and disseminate agroclimatic data and information. These skills are

essential in order to properly address the changing climatic conditions.

Relevance: The government’s national adaptation programme of action for climate has identified the

agriculture sector as among the four highly vulnerable sectors to CC, requiring priority adaptation

measures. The primary CC-related hazards in Lao PDR are floods and droughts, which have an

adverse impact on food security and agriculture production. CC is expected to have a range of

impacts, including increases in annual mean temperatures, longer annual dry season, more intensive

rainfall events, and more frequent and severe drought and flooding events. At present, there have only

been limited assessments, analysis and projections regarding the potential impacts of CC on the

physical and social environment of Lao PDR. National food self-sufficiency in paddy production and

diversification by increasing production of other crops are among the key development objectives of

the government. It is essential to strengthen capacities to monitor, analyse, communicate and make

effective use of agrometeorological data and information in order to improve decision-making on

agriculture and food security (e.g. advisory services to farmers, planning activities, determining land-

crop suitability, promoting crop diversification). In addition, providing assessments of CC impact on

agriculture is important for better policy planning.

MAF has requested FAO assistance in developing an early warning system and information

management centre. As part of this effort, the agrometeorological system (AMS) needs to be

rehabilitated and expanded. Outbreak forecasting is required in the cases of plant and animal disease

and pest attacks (including rodent attacks). The request for updating the AMS complements the

MONRE request described below.

MONRE has requested FAO assistance in developing capacity and producing information on the food

security impact of CC. Two areas of intervention are included under this request. The first is the

enhanced use of agrometeorological data as a decision-making tool to support the development of

responses to extreme events and to the long-term impacts of CC on the crops, livestock, fisheries and

forestry subsectors. Activities under this output will be closely linked to those under Output 5.2 as

described below. The second area of intervention will be to assess CC impacts on the productivity of

the above subsectors at the national level and develop high spatial resolution scenarios for 2030 and

2050 as a tool for informing long-term policy responses.

Indicative Activities:

Strengthening agroclimatic monitoring, analysis, communication and use of data and

information for decision-making in agriculture and food security.

Strengthening institutional and technical capacity for monitoring, analysis of and

development of Land Resources Information Management Systems and agro-ecological

zoning.

Carrying out a variety of systems development and capacity building activities in support of

strengthening the institutional and technical capacity of the DMH to monitor and analyse the

55

agriculture production systems and agrometeorological data and information and use them for

improved decision-making in agriculture and for knowledge management and dissemination

of information and lessons learned for planning, monitoring and evaluation. These activities

will include: (i) establishing standard operating procedures for climatology and

agrometeorology; (ii) developing guidelines, training manuals and curricula for training of

technical staff on installation of instruments, maintenance, data coding of field observations,

climatology, agrometeorology, remote sensing, GIS, crop yield forecasting, preparation of

improved crop bulletins and other communications; and (iii) organizing a series of training

programmes to improve technical capacity of the climatology and agrometeorological

division at DMH and provincial centres on value-added forecasts and seasonal climate

forecasts in collaboration with international and regional institutions for climate predictions,

including software, data and associate training.

Offering MAF-specific activities that cover the following: (i) providing technical assistance in

the preparation of reference documents on the use of climate information; (ii) enhancing

MAF’s technical capacity to use climate and agrometeorological information for preparation

of strategies, policies, and other planning documents through technical trainings provided

across the different departments in MAF, including NAFRI; (iii) providing technical training

to provincial and district level staff on the use of climate information for farming practices;

(iv) training facilitators in the FFS in the key agriculture plains on integration of climate data

and information into FFS curricula; and (v) organizing media training to improve capacity on

communication of climate information services and products to users in the agriculture sector.

6.4.3 Priority Output 4.3: Enhanced capacity of communities in the identification, use and

dissemination of location-specific and gender-sensitive DRRM practices and technologies in the areas

of agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, animal husbandry and NTFPs (through FFS and enhanced

research-extension-farmer interactions)

Rationale: Key to managing threats and crises is the resilience of the livelihoods and livelihood

systems on which individuals and households depend. Many households, in particular smallholders,

are highly exposed to hazards and risks because of limited access to GAP and NRM practices, which

can reduce exposure and/or impacts of disasters. Poor smallholder farmers are among the most

vulnerable members of the population. The resilience of their livelihoods in the face of risks, disasters

and the impacts of CC must be further protected and enhanced. In addition to the capacity building

addressed by other priority outcomes, there is a need for wider dissemination of location-specific

good practice technology options for enhanced DRM. This priority output focuses on building

resilience at community level through technically guided action research implemented through FFS

onsite in farmers’ fields.

Relevance: Community-based DRR is at the core of resilience. In order to move the national DRM

system from a reactive into a fully proactive mode, activities should be promoted at local level that

will create incentives for smallholders to participate actively in the transition process. Systematic

identification and dissemination of good practice technology options that can enhance farmers’

production while reducing their exposure to risks and losses, will promote resilience-building and

create a favourable environment among farmers for investing in proactive DRR. The ultimate

outcome is likely to be enhanced awareness about availability of location-specific good practice

options (GPOs) and enhanced outreach on suitable GPOs for vulnerable smallholders

56

Indicative Activities:

Offering technical support for the process of replicating good practices to build resilience,

through agricultural extension services and national research institutes. This includes

identification, field demonstrations/testing, validation by technical experts and then

replication/dissemination of location-specific DRM GPOs through FFS.

Ensuring gender equity by placing special emphasis on the selection and promotion of GPOs

that take this issue into account.

Focusing on blending indigenous knowledge with complementary validated technologies

provided by research institutes. This will include training for extension staff, field technicians

and farmers on the use of the selected DRM practices and technologies in agriculture.

Organizing field exchange visits to allow government officials and farmers’ groups from

other communities to view demonstrations in project areas, thereby encouraging further

replication and dissemination.

6.4.4 Priority Output 4.4: Enhanced institutional and technical capacity to effectively and

accountably manage food security and agriculture crises - from disaster preparedness through

emergency response to post-recovery

Rationale: Lao PDR it is likely to be seriously affected by the impact of CC and emerging food,

nutrition and agriculture threats, particularly in terms of economic development, human capacity,

poverty reduction and environment sustainability. In addition, there is a problem of seasonality in food

availability, especially for the remote areas, and a severe problem of instability due to floods that

regularly destroy crops in the centre and the south. Droughts in the north and along the Vietnamese

border also contribute to this problem.

In the face of such complexity, the ability of the GOL to deal with food security and crisis issues is

inadequate on two accounts. In the first place, there is insufficient understanding of the problem;

government policy has identified food security simply with self-sufficiency in rice. Secondly, the system

of data collection and analysis at provincial level is inadequate on all the issues related to food security. In

MAF, for instance, reporting on crops is based on an expensive crop-cutting exercise and data reporting

has no standard format. In DMH, the collection and analysis of meteorological data is not adequate for

deriving crop yield forecasting at provincial level. In light of these issues, the GOL needs to address the

collection, analysis, monitoring and dissemination of food security, nutrition, crop and climate-related

information.

Relevance: The National Food Security Strategy 2001-2010 lists building institutional capacities for

analysing and assessing information on food insecurity and vulnerability to improve food security

policy formulation as one of the specific priority activities. The NGPES recognizes that dependence

on diminishing natural resources as a primary coping strategy for the poor leaves that population

highly vulnerable to resource depletion and environmental degradation. Furthermore, under current

and future changing climatic conditions, natural resource-based livelihoods are likely to be the most

vulnerable, especially for women and children living in rural communities. As the GOL also considers

human resource development to be a key issue in poverty eradication, increased technical and

institutional capacity is a requisite condition for enabling economic growth.

Indicative Activities:

Providing technical advice and training to enhance understanding of the causes and impacts of

risk and vulnerability of the rural poor, both male and female. This will lead to enhanced

governmental capacity to analyse, formulate and implement appropriate policy approaches to

mitigate these issues and to address emerging food security, nutrition and agriculture threats.

57

The need for policies specifically designed to address the issues of risk and vulnerability of

the rural poor cannot be overemphasized; however, currently the national institutions in Lao

PDR have little experience in these specific areas.

Training on food-based approaches to nutrition and methods for drought-resistant fish ponds,

to increase capacity in disaster management.

Offering support to improve institutional capacity to analyse, design and implement

development policies to mitigate risk and vulnerability of the rural poor vis-à-vis the

emerging threats, including the new risks posed by market integration, price volatility and

climate change. In this context, studies and policy analysis reports will be prepared in close

collaboration with national counterparts on topics surrounding risks and vulnerability faced

by the rural poor, particularly small and marginal farmers and the landless of both genders.

Providing technical training to mid-level government officials and staff of policy research

institutes to strengthen capacity for policy analysis.

Undertaking an assessment of the country’s institutional and staff capacity in policy

processes. FAO will assist the government in developing capacity-strengthening strategies

and plans based on local needs, priorities and opportunities. A draft disaster preparedness,

mitigation and post-disaster recovery plan will be created to guide this work.

Working with GOL to develop an institutional framework, establish a new forecasting system

and enhance the technical capacity to forecast, identify, analyse and monitor emerging known

food security, nutrition and agriculture threats. A combination of technical and on-the-job

training will be provided to help national staff engage in forecasting, identifying, analysing

and monitoring threats. A baseline survey will also be conducted.

Conducting further activities related to short-term developments and long-term scenarios in

the food availability situation at national and subnational level. In addressing food

availability, support will focus on solving the main constraints to establishing a proper system

for crop monitoring and yield forecasting at national and regional levels, together with

building capabilities to derive CC impact assessments. Specifically the following activities

will be undertaken: (i) providing technical support to national food security on the basis of

agrometeorological crop monitoring and yield forecasting at national and subnational level

during cropping season; (ii) providing technical training to national institutions (e.g. DMH,

Center for Statistics and Information, NAFRI) to improve monitoring and assessments on the

impact of climatic variations during the cropping season and season-by-season; (iii)

conducting agronomic research; (iv) improving agriculture planning by performing detailed

studies of agroclimatic and agro-ecological zoning; (v) training national staff on climate and

agrometeorological observation, analysis and application to agriculture; (vi) establishing an

agrometeorological information system to serve as an advisory service for end-users; and (vii)

providing technical support to the government for generating regular and tailored

agrometeorological information to end-users at international, national and subnational level.

The Priority Areas, Priority Outcomes and Priority Outputs of the CPF are listed in Table 3.

58

Table 3. Priority Areas, Priority Outcomes and Priority Outputs of the Country Programming Framework

Priority Area Priority Outcome Priority Output

1. Improved food and

nutritional security

through enhanced

policy, planning and

implementation

1. Effective policy instruments and

mechanisms for attaining national food and

nutritional security goals are designed and

deployed

Output 1.1 A national food and nutrition security strategy, policy, investment plan and its

governance framework developed

Output 1.2 M&E system for MAF developed in support of effective monitoring and

implementation of projects strengthened

Output 1.3. Enhanced institutional and government staff capacity for the design and use of the

IPC for better planning and response with FSN-related interventions

Output 1.4 Strengthened institutional and staff capacity to analyse and produce quality and

timely FNS statistics in support of better informed policies and actions

Output 1.5. Support to small-scale, gender-sensitive food security and livelihood-oriented

agricultural programmes for vulnerable farm households through distribution of inputs, transfer

of technologies and best practices, including traditional knowledge

2. Environmentally

sustainable production

for the market by small

farmers using value

chain approach

2. Strengthened enabling regulatory and

institutional environment for improved

access of smallholder farmers to agricultural

markets

Output 2.1 SPS-related legal framework further developed in compliance with international

standards

Output 2.2. Improved inspection and testing regime at all points of AVC to meet Codex

standards

Output 2.3 Strengthened institutional and technical capacity in the control and management of

FMD and other TAD

Output 2.4 Strengthened legal and regulatory framework for agricultural inputs to promote

organic agriculture and GAP

Output 2.5 Farmers trained to produce GAP/IPM-certified agricultural products and farmer-

market linkages developed

Output 2.6 Institutional and individual capacities of AVC actors (public, private groups, farmer

groups) enhanced in the adoption of sustainable and innovative approaches and practices to

support the greening of selected AVC, including post-harvest handling and processing, market

linkages and logistics

3. Sustainable natural

resource management

for crops, forests,

fisheries and livestock

3. Strengthened governance – policies, laws,

strategies and community participation for

sustainable management of land, forestry,

and fisheries and aquaculture resources

Output 3.1 Concession agriculture rationalized within a general land tenure policy framework

and regulations

Output 3.2 Capacity for participatory land and other NRM at the local level improved through

promotion and use of field-tested, gender-sensitive, participatory development tools and

approaches

Output 3.3 Enhanced ability of communities and government stakeholders for inclusive

community-based forest management

Output 3.4 Enhanced capacity of communities, local and central administration in design,

prioritization and implementation of CC adaptation and disaster management measures in

targeted wetlands

59

Output 3.5 An implementation strategy for capture fisheries and aquaculture developed

4. Reduced risk and

vulnerability to natural

and other disasters

through prevention,

preparedness, response

and recovery

4. Enhanced capacity of government and

communities to adapt to and mitigate climate

change and reduce natural disaster

vulnerabilities related to agriculture, forestry

and fisheries

Output 4.1 Enhanced capacity of relevant stakeholders to mainstream DRRM approaches into

specific sectoral (agriculture, forestry, fisheries) and cross-sectoral (nutrition, food security, food

safety) plans, policies and legal frameworks

Output 4.2 Developed institutional and technical staff capacity at national, provincial and

district levels for agroclimatic monitoring, analysing and disseminating information related to

climate variability and its impact on the agriculture sector

Output 4.3 Enhanced capacity of communities in the identification, use and dissemination of

location-specific and gender-sensitive DRRM practices and technologies in the areas of

agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, animal husbandry and NTFPs (through FFS and enhanced

research-extension-farmer interaction)

Output 4.4 Enhanced institutional and technical capacity to effectively and accountably manage

food security and agriculture crises - from disaster preparedness through emergency response to

post-recovery

60

PART III: IMPLEMENTATION AND RESOURCE

MOBILIZATION

7. IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS

7.1 Implementation Principles

Alignment with national priorities will be a central concern of all actions taken under the CPF,

including the country work plan (CWP), short-term work plans and project activities; activities

will be formulated with the full consultation and coordination with the line ministries concerned

A programming approach will be adopted in all activities conducted under CPF, whereby FAO

will work in partnership with other development partners who are active on related themes in the

same geographical area(s) of the country

Mutual accountability and transparency will be the basis of all transactions between the

implementing partners

Centrality of overarching themes: all project activities under the CPF will have capacity

building, gender mainstreaming, decent employment (especially for women and youth) and

poverty reduction as overarching themes

Sustainability and viable exit strategies: all project activities under the CPF will include a

viable exit strategy that promotes post-project sustainability

7.2 Implementation Mechanism

Implementation of the CPF requires both technical assistance and funding, and therefore requires

building collaboration and consensus with the GOL as well as with other development partners,

including other UN agencies. This will require an intense advocacy effort by the FAO Country Office.

Subsequently the main challenge will be to mobilize resources. To accomplish this, the Country

Office will need strong support from the FAO Regional Office and Headquarters.

The CPF is co-owned by the GOL and FAO, and the coordination and implementation mechanisms

are grounded in this basic principle. A joint CPF Steering Committee, co-chaired by representatives of

MAF and the FAOR, will be established to oversee implementation of the CPF. The Steering

Committee will, inter alia: (i) convene meetings and promote initiatives to facilitate making CPF

operational and review work plans and implementation; (ii) undertake M&E as needed, including

commissioning a mid-term review; and (iii) take leadership in resource mobilization. Overall

responsibility for the implementation of the CPF, however, will rest with the FAO Country Office.

Meetings of the CPF Implementation Committee will be organized once every six months, while ad

hoc meetings can take place any time at the request of the co-chairs. Meetings of the Implementation

Committee will involve the participation of representatives of MAF and other ministries and national

institutions as appropriate. Other participants may be invited to attend these meetings in a consultative

position as appropriate, including other development partners and national stakeholders directly

involved in the activities in the CPF Results Matrix. Thus, the participants in these meetings may

vary, as determined by the two co-chairs. For CPF to become operational, the Steering Committee

may establish ad hoc committees or/and implementing teams for specific tasks, including substantive

outputs and activities.

7.3 Short-term Implementation Plan

The CPF is formulated for 2013-2015. It will become operational following endorsement and

approval by FAO, the national CPF Steering Committee, and MAF on behalf of the GOL. During the

61

short-term (2013-2014), FAO and the GOL will focus on prioritizing activities or projects, identifying

funding gaps and working on resource mobilization.

In order to become operational, activities in the CPF must be identified, prioritized and funded.

Therefore, during the first year of operation, both FAO and the GOL will concentrate on focused

activities and on identifying funding gaps. Programmes and activities to be prioritized in the first year

of operations are:

Ongoing programmes and projects already funded and budgeted, which are reflected in the CPF

Programming Framework through the CPF Outputs, with resource requirements already specified

on the basis of current commitments or firmly committed pipeline projects or initiatives; and

New initiatives still in the pipeline (in case resources are not yet fully committed) or

modifications of past programmes, which are expected to become operational in the course of the

first year of operation, and for which additional funding efforts are anticipated.

Once the focused activities have been prioritized, FAO and the GOL will formulate concrete resource

mobilization plans and corresponding implementation plans.

During the course of each year, the Steering Committee will review progress made in implementation

at an appropriate date. On the basis of this review, a new process for prioritizing the activities

expected in the second year will be launched, identifying possible funding gaps in order to formulate

new resource mobilization and implementation plans for this second year of operation.

Programmes and activities to be prioritized for the short-term will include: Activities already funded

and budgeted and reflected in the CPF Outputs, with resource requirements already specified on the

basis of current commitments or firmly committed pipeline projects or initiatives; and

New initiatives still in the pipeline (in case resources are not yet fully committed) or

modifications of past programmes, which are expected to become operational within the

short-term and for which additional funding efforts are anticipated.

Once the CPF Steering Committee endorses activities for implementation, work will begin on

formulating the activities for funding. FAO will consider funding those activities classified as top

priority as determined in cooperation with MAF. In addition, FAO and the GOL together will

approach donors and other funding sources to finance priority programmes and focused activities.

Where possible and appropriate, FAO activities will be undertaken jointly with other UN agencies and

development partners. Planning for the 2014-2015 period could commence in early 2014.

Collaboration and partnership with national stakeholders will also commence during the short-term

implementation period. These activities include building networks, forming fora and committees

around each pillar – and around outputs when substantive – and creating advocacy groups for resource

mobilization. Relevant stakeholders, notably civil society organizations (CSOs), farmers’ associations

and the private sector, will be encouraged to collaborate in this process. Thus, communications,

networking, monitoring systems and reporting mechanisms should be in place by the end of the first

biennium. Implementation of major activities will continue through the second biennium.

7.4 Funding Modalities

FAO and the GOL will adopt the funding modalities that are most suitable to implement the CPF.

This includes using existing national and FAO modalities as well as new modalities that may be

useful for tapping into external resources. In line with the emphasis on a programmatic approach,

suitable avenues for resource mobilization will include programme umbrellas such as the EU’s

62

Northern Area Uplands Project (NUDP), as well as the WB Forest Investment Programme and UN-

REDD.

8. PARTNERSHIPS

All activities under the CPF will be implemented in partnership with other relevant agencies. The key

partner will be the GOL, in the form of relevant ministries, including MAF, MONRE, MPI, MOH,

MOIC and the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MLSW) (National Disaster Management

Office).

After the government, the most important implementing partners will be other UN agencies with

which FAO will partner in accordance with UNDAF. Local CSOs, including Lao non-profit

associations, farmers’ associations and other farmers’ groups and the private sector, will also be

regarded as potential partners.

Some activities will also entail collaboration with partners with which FAO has cooperation

arrangements at the global, regional and country levels. Potential alliances or partnerships may take

into account both strategic and operational aspects of FAO activities, funding support or joint

advocacy efforts.

Other partners with a special role to play will be technical partners, such as research and academic

institutions that are active in the specific priority areas of the CPF. Some of these partnerships may be

at the global and regional levels, but most are likely to be in-country institutions.

In accordance with the implementation principle of adopting a programming approach, FAO will

coordinate closely with other development partners in multi-donor support programmes.

9. MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING ARRANGEMENTS

FAO may undertake – with the cooperation of the MPI (Department of International Cooperation), a

government implementing agency and, as appropriate, other UN agencies – baseline studies, technical

missions, evaluation or management review missions, and annual review meetings. This will be done

to assist in monitoring the progress of the operation, and to advise, as needed, on ways to improve the

efficiency and effectiveness of the operational implementation.

FAO, together with government implementing agencies, shall provide progress reports of the

programme/project implementation, with disbursement, to the MPI (Department of International

Cooperation) to ensure the effectiveness of the implementation of ODA projects in Lao PDR.

M&E of the CPF will take place at two levels. The first level is within projects (or activities or

outputs), with the aim of ensuring that the goals and objectives of each project are significantly and

directly contributing to the planned outputs of the CPF. The primary inputs for M&E will be baseline

data and indicators of the project. Each project team will prepare a monthly monitoring report for

FAO’s in-country management, and this will be forwarded to co-chairs of the Steering Committee.

Any serious issues arising from these reports may be the subject of an extraordinary meeting of the

Steering Committee, at the discretion of the co-chairs. Each project activity under CPF will produce

its own results matrix against which monitoring, review and evaluation will be assessed.

63

Table 4. UN Partner Agencies for UNDAF and the CPF

UNDAF Outcome UN Agencies with which FAO will partner 1. By 2015, the government promotes more equitable

and sustainable growth for poor people in the Lao

PDR

IFAD, ILO, ITC, UNCDF, UNCTAD,

UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UN-

HABITAT, UNICEF, UNIDO, UNODC

5. By 2015, vulnerable people are more food-secure

and have better nutrition

UNICEF, WFP, WHO

7. By 2015, the government ensures sustainable

natural resources management through improved

governance and community participation

ILO, ITC, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNEP,

UNESCO, UN-HABITAT, UNIDO

8. By 2015, the government and communities better

adapt to and mitigate climate change and reduce

natural disaster vulnerabilities in priority sectors

UNEP, UNDP, UNICEF, UN-HABITAT,

WFP

10. By 2015, people in the Lao PDR benefit from

policies and programmes which more effectively

promote gender equality and increased participation

and representation of women in formal and informal

decision-making

ILO, ITC, IFAD, IOM, OHCHR, UN-AIDS,

UNCDF, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNEP,

UNESCO, UN-HABITAT, UNICEF,

UNICRI, UNIDO, UNODC, UNV, WFP,

WHO

At the second level, CPF outputs and indicators will be monitored on a six-monthly and annual basis

and presented as progress reports in ways similar to reports on project logical frameworks. The six-

month reports will be short, while the annual reports will include comments on the progress made.

These will be prepared by the FAO Country Office and discussed at the CPF Steering Committee

meetings. The annual progress reports may also be shared with the UN country team and the UN

Resident Coordinator.

An independent mid-term review of the CPF will be conducted, with terms of reference drawn up

jointly by the co-chairs and ratified by the Steering Committee. This review will be conducted with

the assistance of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (FAO-RAP), and will aim to

assess whether or not the CPF is on track, or if major changes need to be made in response to

changing circumstances.

Similarly, an independent end-of-programme evaluation will be conducted, also with terms of

reference drawn up jointly by the co-chairs and ratified by the Steering Committee. This will be

conducted at the time of preparation of the next CPF. This review will be conceived as external

evaluation, and will: (i) assess the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability of

FAO support to the country; (ii) assess the credibility, impartiality, transparency and usefulness of

FAO’s contribution during the CPF cycle; and (iii) identify lessons learned during implementation of

the current CPF to be taken into account in formulating the next CPF.

The main tool for the M&E mechanism in the CPF process is the CPF Results Matrix, which indicates

performance indicators, with targets and baselines, and specifies the assumptions and risks on which

the formulation of the CPF outcomes and outputs and their corresponding indicators are based, as well

as an indication of the means of verification of the actual performance. Annex 7 of this document

presents the overall CPF Results Matrix which will guide review and evaluation activities. Using this

matrix effectively requires capacity to collect data on baselines (where appropriate) and performance

indicators and to analyse and report on progress. Monitoring is also required for adjusting and fine-

tuning programmes when key parameters and assumptions change, e.g. when national priorities are

redefined or the initial assumptions no longer apply.

The modalities for the M&E mechanism will be further defined by the CPF Steering Committee,

which will agree on adjustment procedures for additional joint periodic review meetings on progress

64

achieved with CPF implementation, mid-term review of implementation and the final assessment, so

as to ensure maximum flexibility depending on circumstances, and adequate mutual accountability.

65

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UNDP n.d. Early Recovery: Foundations for Rebuilding Lives. United Nations Development

Programme, Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, New York, USA

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UNESCAP-UNODRR 2012. Reducing Vulnerability and Exposure to Disasters: The Asia-Pacific

Disaster Report, 2012. UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and UN Office

for Disaster Risk Reduction, Bangkok, Thailand.

UNISDR-WB 2009. Disaster Risk Management Programs for Priority Countries: Global Facility for

Disaster Reduction and Recovery. UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction and World Bank,

Washington DC, USA

WB 2010. Lao People’s Democratic Republic: Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures: Enhancing

Trade, Food Safety and Agricultural Health. East Asia and the Pacific Region, World Bank

Sustainable Development Department, Washington DC, USA

WB 2010a. Lao People’s Democratic Republic: Operational Costs of Trade-Related Sanitary and

Phytosanitary Activities; East Asia and the Pacific Region, World Bank Poverty Reduction and

Economic Management Sector Department, Washington DC, USA

WB 2012. Sustaining Robust Growth: Mitigating Risks and Deepening Reforms. Lao PDR Economic

Monitor, May 2012 update, World Bank Representative Office, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR

WFP n.d. WFP Lao PDR Country Strategy 2011-2015. World Food Programme, Country Office,

Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR

ANNEXES

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ANNEX 1

REVIEW OF MAJOR PROGRAMMES, LAWS AND POLICIES IN FAO-MANDATED AREAS IN LAO PDR

A1 Food and Agricultural Sector

The Agricultural Development Strategy 2011 to 2020 (ADS) is the long-term framework for the

development of the agriculture and forestry sector. Its underlying vision is based on a holistic concept

of long-term sustainable development, including economic, social and ecological dimensions. The

Strategy sets out two development goals, for the lowland and upland ecosystems, respectively. The

former is based on modernizing agricultural production adapted to climate change and focused on

smallholder farmers, while the latter is centred on conservation of upland ecosystems, food security

and livelihoods of rural communities.

The Strategy has been more fully fleshed out for the period up to 2015 (which is also the time horizon

of the CPF), with an Agricultural Master Plan (AMP) and an Agricultural Investment Plan (AIP).

Under the Strategy, four goals are specified for the period 2011-2015:

Goal 1: Improvement of livelihoods through agriculture and livestock, with food security as its first

priority

Goal 2: Increased and modernized production of agricultural commodities and “pro-poor green value

chains” based on smallholders’ organizations and partnering with the private sector

Goal 3: Sustainable production patterns, including stabilization of shifting cultivation and climate

change adaptation measures adapted to local agro-ecological conditions

Goal 4: Sustainable forest management to preserve biodiversity and significantly improve forest cover

to benefit local communities, including public and private processing enterprises

Under these four goals there are eight programmes; under each of these programmes the AMP lays

out a set of objectives, potential outcomes, targets and key measures for implementation. The AIP

complements this by laying out three alternative investment scenarios: “Realistic”, “Conservative”

and “Optimistic”, depending upon how much funding is available from: (a) the Public Investment

Programme; (b) Official Development Assistance; and (c) Foreign Direct Investment. Category (c) is

the most volatile, and (a) is the least volatile among the three options.

The components of the ADS are reviewed in some detail in the main body of this document,

particularly Section 5.

A1.1 Subsectoral Priorities

Subsectoral strategy documents are to be prepared in accordance with the ADS. However, at the time

of writing the present CPF only a few of these had been prepared; many were still in draft form and

had not yet received approval from the relevant ministry.

A1.1.1 Agricultural and Forestry Research

The National Agricultural and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI) issued its current Strategic Plan

and Research Agenda in 2007, covering the period 2007-2012. This strategy was based on “a

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situational analysis of key issues in agriculture and natural resource management and the four priority

goals of MAF.” It focuses on three interlinked areas:

Improving efficiency in agricultural production

Improving land use and land management processes

Feeding back the impacts of rapid agrarian change to policy-makers at different levels

Seven research programmes have been identified, which may be summarized as follows: (i)

maximizing land productivity; (ii) improving land planning and management; (iii) creating an

improved enabling environment; (iv) meeting marketing and quality requirements; (v) conserving

biodiversity; (vi) promoting sustainable use of natural resources; and (vii) improving understanding of

the impact of climate change. “Gender and other socio-economic considerations” are mainstreamed

into research, and there are support programmes in capacity development and information services.

This seems a rather ambitious agenda for a five-year period, but it is not possible at this point to

assess the degree of success of each (or any) component. A new strategy is currently under

development, so NAFRI is now in a transitional phase in terms of planning. Details of the new

strategic plan are not finalized, but at present it is intended to have the following five research

programme areas:

Food security and food safety

Empowerment and impact on rural livelihoods

Agricultural adaptation to climate change

Sustainable agricultural natural resource management and agrobiodiversity

Capacity development

One strategic comment that can be made about NAFRI concerns the location of its research stations.

Of its eleven stations, all but three are located in Vientiane province. No doubt there are historical

reasons for this, but for a country as agro-ecologically diverse as Lao PDR, it would seem more

effective to have research stations located on the basis of agro-ecological zones in order to tailor

research more closely to local needs, resources and constraints. This is particularly the case if research

for climate change resilience is to be a major strategic focus.

A1.1.2 Agricultural Extension and Cooperatives

The draft National Agriculture and Forestry Extension Service (NAFES) Strategy 2011-2021

envisions a breakthrough in support for small farmers: “Smallholder farmers across the country will

have access to the services they need in order to improve productivity in a sustainable manner and

thereby achieve food security and viable livelihoods”. Four objectives are set out for the extension

service: (i) strengthening services to enhance food security of rural communities; (ii) strengthening

services to enhance sustainability and productivity of small farmers; (iii) improving the benefits of

market engagement by smallholders; and (iv) improving smallholders’ access to resources and inputs.

It also has four components, namely:

Four programmes: the government extension system, farmer organizations, smallholder

engagement with agribusiness, and information network for extension

Four methods: facilitation of farmer learning, facilitation of farmer organizations, partnerships

for market engagement, and interim provision of critical inputs in areas of market failure

Four principles for service provision: local ownership, inclusiveness, accountability and

sustainability

Four partners for service provision: local government units (especially PAFO and DAFO),

farmer organizations, cooperatives and associations, and the private sector (including SMEs

and contractors) and non-profit associations

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This represents a radical shift in thinking about the strategic challenges to be faced in transforming

Lao agriculture. The traditional emphasis was on government-supported technology transfer, with

farmers as recipients and staff as technicians pursuing short-term aims based on a project framework,

and priorities based around: (i) the model farmer approach; (ii) emphasis on technology and cash

crops; and (iii) primarily male farmers. The new approach sees: (i) extension agents as service

providers; (ii) all farmers (women as well as men) as clients; (iii) pluralistic service provision; (iv)

emphasis on long-term programmes, knowledge management systems and a focus on food security;

and (v) orientation towards smallholder groups in disadvantaged areas.

Although the objectives of NAFES (now DAEC) are “based on the four goals of the Ministry of

Agriculture”, they depart somewhat from the four goals of the ADS. For example, “food crops and

livestock in the context of farmer learning and holistic livelihoods planning” contains no mention of

fisheries. The aim of stabilizing shifting cultivation is not addressed and areas such as agroforestry are

missing. However, there is an encouraging emphasis on food security and nutrition and on building

farmers’ bargaining power through self-reliant organizations, awareness raising, empowerment and

prioritization of SMEs.

While the new strategy represents a radical shift from the traditional “top-down” approach to

extension to a more “bottom-up” approach, it clearly also reflects a high level of inputs by a donor-

funded project. This serves to highlight the key problem of lack of resources. At present the extension

service is dependent on donor-funded projects and programmes, and in parts of the country where

these do not exist, lack of provision for operating costs prevents extension staff from conducting farm

visits, especially in remote areas. Non-profit associations cannot operate without funding from either

government or donors, and farmer organizations are still in their infancy (for example, there are at

present just seven registered farmers’ cooperatives in Lao PDR). This leaves the private sector as a

main potential source of support. This is a promising approach, and one that has already met with

some success in Lao PDR, but it needs careful design and implementation to be sustainable.

A1.1.3 Forestry

The objectives of the Forestry Strategy 2020 (FS2020) are to “define and agree on a set of policy

and institutional arrangements and to allocate relevant roles and responsibilities among the main

stakeholders to achieve sector objectives and targets through implementation of the chosen strategies,

policies and actions.” For timber, government policy is to promote domestic wood processing by

linking regulation of wood-processing facilities to harvest/logging plans and timber harvest and

promoting export of processed wood only. Recent refinements have attempted to address capacity

issues and to improve technology and standards to effect a transition from exporting logs and sawn

timber from natural forests to gaining an advantage in manufacturing finished and semi-finished wood

products using plantation-grown timber as much as possible. Existing legislation secures villagers’

access to NTFPs and customary user rights are recognized in the Forestry Law and various

regulations. It is, however, worth noting that only customary rights that fall within existing laws will

be recognized. These uses are tax-exempt and extend to sale of NTFPs, provided villagers form

groups or associations for the purpose. Such groups and associations are required to follow DAFO-

approved management plans, although in practice it has proven very difficult to develop such plans to

an acceptable standard. DAFO and PAFO officers are mandated to ensure compliance with the rules

“and also to ensure that uses in conflict with customary rights, such as slash and burn, forest fire and

fish traps are limited”.

The Strategy notes the following challenges and scenarios that are likely to affect the sector:

Increased conversion of forests to other land uses

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Increased domestic and external demand for forest products

Increased requirement for soil and water conservation

Increased demand for biodiversity protection

In this situation the Strategy states that only one scenario can be considered, namely, “Sector growth

at as rapid pace as is practical within the ceiling imposed by sustainability”. This will be achieved by:

Sourcing all future production of timber and NTFPs from plantations and demarcated production

forest areas

Promoting incentives and extension efforts to foster regeneration of degraded natural forests

Harvesting forest resources (both timber and non-timber) predominantly from production forests

with scientifically based management and harvesting plans prepared by relevant government

agencies

Implementing actual field management by the Forest Management Unit (FMU) with participation

of villagers

Selling products through profit-maximizing competitive methods

Allowing large commercial firms to continue to play a major role, “alongside small farmers,

villagers, and ethnic groups upon whom present efforts focus”

In many ways the Strategy is technically sound, but in some ways it is at odds with the more up-to-

date approach of the ADS 2011-2020. In particular, the idea that field management is to be

implemented by the FMU with the participation of villagers (italics added) is at odds with the more

specifically participatory approach of community forestry, in which the position of the two actors

would be reversed. Similarly, placing large commercial firms alongside small farmers might raise

concerns about asymmetry in the resulting relationships.

A1.1.4 Irrigation

Formulation of the irrigation strategy is in process at time of writing. Meanwhile the Direction Plan

for Irrigation 2011-2015 and Plan for 2012-2013 sets out the approach and priorities of MAF’s

Department of Irrigation. It has seven key aims (or “directions”) which cover: (i) raising awareness on

water resource protection; (ii) establishing 2015 targets for irrigated area and rice production in wet

and dry seasons; (iii) exploring potential water sources and gravity irrigation; (iv) minimizing areas

affected by drought, especially in the plains; (v) collaborating with MME to combine water use for

both irrigation and small- and medium-scale hydropower; (vi) maintaining water levels by building

reservoirs; and (viii) formulating the irrigation strategy.

The targets set for 2015 include maintenance of irrigation infrastructure, replacing worn out pumps,

switching from gasoline to electric pumps and upscaling irrigated agriculture to diversify beyond rice

into areas such as horticulture and aquaculture.

This covers a broad swath of the sector, but there seem to be important omissions – for example, the

conjunctive use of water by raising fish in irrigated paddy fields. Another possibility that might be of

especial interest to small farmers would be micro-irrigation, because of its low cost and labour

intensity.

A1.1.5 Livestock and Veterinary Strategies

There are separate strategy documents for the livestock and veterinary sectors. The goals of the

Livestock Strategy may be summarized as follows:

Develop the livestock system through farmer extension using appropriate technology at all levels

to commercialize the sector and improve the quality of produce

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Protect, develop and improve both indigenous and improved livestock breeds to increase

productivity, taking the ecological conditions of each region into account

Support and promote animal forage and feed production, ranging from natural grazing to

processing quality feed for the commercial sector

Create and improve the existing regulatory framework to enhance both livestock productivity and

environmental protection

Improve organizational structure, maintain infrastructure and upgrade the technical knowledge

and capacity of all staff

In the case of the Veterinary Strategy, the goals are as follows, again in summary form:

Upgrade the human resources within the animal health sector in both quantity and quality to

ensure efficiency of veterinary services

Ensure that personnel management from national to local levels is strengthened, made more

efficient and supported with a clear management structure and sufficient budget support

Control cross-border transmission of animal diseases

Establish quarantine and other control measures to prevent disease transmission from animals to

humans, reduce animal mortality rates and gradually eliminate endemic animal disease

Make livestock trading and livestock products relevant to the agreement on animal and crop

hygiene

Disseminate and validate for implementation the livestock and veterinary laws and all related

legislation

Several observations can be made regarding these strategies. First, it is difficult to understand why

two separate strategies are required, when a more integrated approach would be preferable. Second,

neither strategy is particularly strategic or contains much that is new or innovative. Third, they do not

take into account the constraints facing the sector – such as severely limited budgets for extension, a

severe shortage of qualified veterinary surgeons and lack of facilities for control of cross-border

spread of animal disease. Finally, no evidence is presented to show that the development of these

strategies was preceded by a thorough analysis of the challenges facing the sector.

A1.1.6 Fisheries

The National Strategy for Fisheries to 2020 and Action Plan 2006-2010 notes a number of key

constraints on fishery activities. In the case of wild fish stocks, these include growing demand, over-

fishing, lack of regulations, lack of scientific knowledge, outdated equipment, lack of technical

knowledge, lack of statistics on threatened species, non-enforcement of measures to protect fish in the

spawning season, loss of and degradation of habitat, use of destructive fishing techniques (including

explosives) and invasion of exotic predator species. In the case of aquaculture, the main problems are

poor access to fingerlings, high fingerling mortality rate, lack of suitable fish feed, lack of water in the

dry season and natural disasters.

The priorities of the Fisheries Department are as follows:

Upgrade the efficiency of state organizations, particularly the Nan Souang Centre for the

Development of Fish Raising

Manage use of resources and changes in the models of production, involving identification of

suitable and appropriate scientific principles and socio-economics of the Lao environment,

expansion of fish rearing. and improved techniques for production and sale of aquatic products

Find economic measures that can act as a starting point for pricing policy, customs duties, and

market support

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Formulate regulations for management, protection, care and use of natural resources and other

factors of production

Maintain and improve the infrastructure to achieve an overall expansion of fisheries.

Develop fisheries in accordance with the stated policy of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party

and the government

Although there is a section on natural disasters, there is no reference to climate change, despite the

fact that this is likely to have an especially serious impact on aquaculture. Also overlooked are

hydropower dams on the Mekong River or its tributaries which will have negative impacts on capture

fisheries.

A2 Food Security and Nutrition

There is no overall national food security policy in Lao PDR. A document entitled Lao PDR Food

Security Strategy in the Period 2001-2010 was developed at the turn of the century, but no follow-

on strategy paper has as yet been developed. This paper does contain a section on “Orientation” by the

year 2020, which is to “achieve nutrition security”. However, the target for achieving this is defined

as “an average energy level” of 2 600 to 2 700 Kcal/person/day. Setting the target in terms of calories

does not take other components of nutrition into consideration, despite that fact that nutritional

imbalance is a serious problem in Lao PDR.

The Strategy adopted three “strategic solutions” for the period to 2010:

1. To secure available and sufficient food and foodstuff

2. To stabilize food and foodstuff supply

3. To ensure food accessibility and foodstuff hygiene safety”

Hence, the Strategy addressed the “pillars” of food security, but in some cases implicitly rather than

explicitly. Food access and food utilization are lumped together, and attention to food utilization is

limited to its hygiene and food safety aspect. These are important elements of food utilization, but the

issue is wider. For example water-borne (in addition to food-borne) diseases can compromise food

utilization, and poor handling and cooking practices can reduce its nutritional value. Once again the

key issue of dietary balance is not addressed.

The government’s policy stance on nutrition is set out in the National Nutrition Policy (NNP) of

2008 and the National Nutrition Strategy and Plan of Action 2010-2015 (NNS/PoA). Noting that

undernutrition is widespread and that the country is seriously off track in terms of reaching the hunger

target of MDG 1, the Policy identifies eleven constraints on reducing malnutrition; key among them

are:

Limited investments in nutrition and surveillance

Lack of nutrition networking between relevant sectors, such as health and agriculture

A narrow concept of food security, disproportionately focusing on calories and rice

Difficulty in working with diverse food cultures of various ethnic groups

Lack of success in community-based nutrition

Inadequate natural resource management, resulting in the loss of wild foods

Limited agricultural land free of unexploded ordnance

Adverse impacts on food and nutrition security through failure to fully realize the “Right to

Adequate Food”, mainly as a consequence of the inadequate management and enforcement of

certain development policies and government regulations

Lack of nutritional policy and low levels of nutrition advocacy

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The Policy then goes on to identify the causes of malnutrition at three levels: (i) immediate causes at

individual level (inadequate nutrient intake, inadequate knowledge and harmful traditional beliefs,

high frequency of food-borne disease impeding food utilization); (ii) underlying causes at community

level (low access and availability, poor mother- and child-care practices, poor environmental health);

and (iii) basic causes at national level (lack of policy and legislation, absence of a national nutrition

programme, limited public and private investment, non-institutionalization of nutrition within

government, lack of scientific knowledge and understanding of the role of nutrition in development).

The Policy notes eight key areas in which MAF can play a key role in nutrition, including focus on

dietary diversity, sustainable use of natural resources, operational research on nutrition, promotion of

safe food practices, and monitoring and evaluation of food security status.

The Strategy states that it is based on “a holistic causal analysis of the malnutrition situation” and

offers a comprehensive approach to address the problems of a “farm to table” food chain perspective.

Its three Strategic Directions (SDs) aim to address the immediate, underlying and basic causes of

undernutrition as defined above. Under the three SDs, the Plan of Action identifies ten Strategic

Objectives (SOs), but only one of these is relevant to agriculture, namely SO 3 Increase and Diversify

Domestic Food Production. Moreover, this particular SO is given relatively low priority in the Plan of

Action. Only 12.5 percent of projects under SO 3 are in the Priority 1 category, compared with 51

percent for the other SOs. In terms of budget, 23.1 percent of the total is allocated to SO 3, but only

9.3 percent is allocated to SO 3 Priority 1 projects. Issues of economic access to food are also not

dealt with in any detail, and there is a similar lack of focus on key determinants of food utilization,

such as water and sanitation. All of this reflects a basic orientation of the NNS/PoA towards the health

sector, and there is a widespread perception that other ministries and government agencies were not

sufficiently engaged in its formulation.

Formulation of the NNP/PoA predates the series of global food price hikes that began in 2007/08, and

this may help account for the relative lack of attention to food availability in these documents.

However the series of food crises that has occurred over the past five years underlines the fact that

earlier global complacency (which, for example, saw donor agencies scale down efforts to boost food

production in developing countries) was mistaken.

A3 Biodiversity

The goal of the National Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 and Action Plan to 2010 (NBS/AP) is to

“Maintain the country’s diverse biodiversity as one key to poverty alleviation and protect the current

asset base of the poor as support to the implementation of the government’s priority programmes”.

This linking of biodiversity primarily to poverty reduction is unusual at the goal level. It is also

unusual for such goal statements not to include at least a reference to the need to preserve the part of

the biosphere that lies within national boundaries “for future generations”. Nor are future generations

cited under the seven objectives of the Strategy, which are:

Improve biodiversity data and fill data gaps through basic and applied research

Improve biodiversity management and monitoring

Plan and implement a biodiversity-specific human resource development programme

Increase public awareness of, and encourage participation in, the sustainable management of

biodiversity

Adjust national legislation and regulations related to biodiversity and harmonize them with

Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs)

Secure implementation of the NBS/AP

Promote country needs-driven international cooperation

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Each of these objectives is accompanied in the Action Plan by a corresponding programme and a set

of identified actions to be completed by 2010.

A4 Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

After 1993 the GOL implicitly adopted a policy on disasters by providing a budget for post-disaster

relief. When disaster struck, spending from this budget was bolstered by soliciting support from

foreign governments, international agencies and international NGOs. However, the emphasis was on

relief and rehabilitation; there was no attempt at disaster preparedness or risk management, and little

coordination. This situation changed in 1999 with the promulgation of PM Decree No 158/pm, which

authorized the establishment of a disaster risk management network ranging from central to village

level.

In 2003 the Disaster Management Strategy and Plan to 2003-2020 was adopted. This had four foci:

Emphasis on the safety and socio-economic welfare of communities through efforts to

reduce/minimize the damage caused by natural and man-made disasters

A shift from focusing solely on disaster relief and rehabilitation towards embracing disaster risk

preparedness and prevention as well, with special attention to risks from flood, drought, landslides

and fires

A shift from responsibility being focused mainly on the government towards capacity building for

communities, which would help them become the focal points for initiatives to address disaster

issues and preparedness

Promotion of environmental protection to ensure that forest, land and water resources help to play

a key role in disaster prevention and risk mitigation

The Strategy involved the following specific activities: (i) establishment of a coordination point/focal

point to manage disaster risk in line with the NSEDP; (ii) development and improvement of existing

procedures on risk preparedness, provision of disaster relief assistance, and rehabilitation activities

after the disaster events; (iii) establishment of an adequate early warning system; (iv) establishment of

a nationwide network of warehouses from which emergency relief supplies could rapidly be

distributed; (v) awareness-raising campaigns to improve knowledge of the causes and effects of

disasters; (vi) organization of training courses on disaster management; (vii) establishment of a task

force for rescue and emergency assistance; (viii) establishment of a data collection and information

exchange centre for disaster management; (ix) integration of disaster management activities into

wider development activities; (x) establishment of follow-up/monitoring systems to ensure

implementation of legislation in areas such as use of hazardous chemicals; (xi) strengthening of

collaboration with ASEAN and other regional and international agencies involved in disaster

management; and (xii) promotion of coordination and integration of disaster management into the

activities of government line agencies.

The targets of the Strategy for 2020 may be summarized as:

Enabling Lao PDR to minimize impacts of disaster on people’s lives and livelihoods

Providing relief and rehabilitation services to disaster-affected people to enable them to recover

quickly

Establishing a complete disaster management legislative framework

Spreading knowledge on disaster management and environmental protection in order to improve

awareness and ensure that DRR and DRM are mainstreamed into national development

The Plan of Action which accompanied the Strategy expired in 2010 and a new one was formulated

with UNDP assistance in 2011 to cover the period 2012-2015. This covers the entire gamut of disasters

affecting Lao PDR – floods, droughts, storms, disease outbreaks and epidemics, UXOs, landslides,

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agricultural pest and rodent infestations, forest and land fires, urban environmental or “technological”

hazards, earthquakes and climate change.

A Comprehensive Hazard Profile for Lao PDR has recently been created with UNDP support, and an

adequate early warning system is taking shape. Based on coordination between the government and

regional bodies such as the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre and the ASEAN Committee on

Disaster Management, early warning information now flows efficiently and effectively from regional

to national level. It is then transmitted throughout the country via the broadcast media. Radio has

proved particularly effective in this regard. Despite this progress, however, much remains to be done

in terms of transforming data into agriculture-specific warnings, ensuring timely outreach to

populations at risk, and triggering appropriate decisions and actions. The problems are illustrated by

the experience of the floods of 2011, when the assessment process took just one month but approval

took another four months, and this compromised the country’s ability to mobilize donor resources.

There is as yet no adequate capacity at provincial or district levels for analysis or monitoring. Nor is

there any institutionalized mechanism for contingency planning linked to the early warnings to allow

for advanced planning to develop a range of potential responses to hazard-specific warnings by

responsible stakeholders. One specific need identified is to build technical capacities for generating

and analysing data for climate forecasting and enhanced early warning on a range of possible short-

and long-term impacts of climate-induced hazards to agriculture and food security.

A5 Climate Change

The GOL recognizes that climate change is likely to increase the frequency and intensity of climate-

related disaster events and has developed a National Adaptation Programme of Action to Climate

Change (2009) (NAPA). This document notes that likely scenarios and accurate predictions of

potential climate change and resulting adverse impacts have not yet been developed nationally, but it

is forecast to have an impact mainly in terms of increased frequency and intensity of droughts and

floods. There is a corresponding need to strengthen adaptive capacity to cope with these likely

impacts. The main objective of the NAPA is to “develop a country-driven programme to address

immediate and urgent needs related to current and projected adverse effects of climate change in key

sectors”. These sectors are identified as agriculture, forestry, water resources and public health.

NAPA was developed through a multi-sectoral consultative process and builds on the Disaster

Management Strategy and Plan to 2003-2020 described above. Natural resource degradation has

been identified as a major factor exacerbating the adverse effects of climate change, and the need to

reverse this is underscored in NAPA. A number of supplementary activities have been initiated,

including providing computer equipment and setting up water level measurement gauges in rivers.

NAPA recommends that the GOL strengthen the capacity of the National Disaster Management

Committee to deal with likely future adverse impacts, strengthen the Climate Change Office, install

an early warning system, initiate in-depth studies of the impacts of climate change, formulate a

strategy on climate change and increase reforestation efforts.

One major gap in NAPA is its lack of coverage of the potential threats that climate change poses to

fisheries and aquaculture, on which the people of Lao PDR are heavily dependent for access to protein

and a wide range of micronutrients. This may reflect the earlier-noted lack of attention to the effects

of climate change in the National Strategy for Fisheries. Indeed, the United Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is itself seriously deficient in this respect.

Needs and Priority Activities are listed in four sectors, which NAPA regards as likely to be most

seriously affected by climate change, namely agriculture, forestry, water and health. Four criteria were

used for selecting climate change adaptation activities:

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Consideration of various degrees of severity of impacts from climate change

Contribution to poverty reduction

Linkages with other MEAs

High value for economy and society

Criteria for the selection of priority activities in the areas of agriculture, forestry and water are listed

below in descending order of importance.

Loss of lives and livelihood security

Human health

Food security and agriculture

Availability of potable water for using and drinking (both volume and quality)

Infrastructure development

Cultural, historical and natural heritage

Sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity

Land use and forest protection (reduce and eradicate shifting cultivation by 2010)

Other environmental amenities

Administrative and personnel capacity building

While these ten criteria seem reasonable in terms of both their content and the order of priority, some

questions may legitimately be raised regarding the preparedness and prevention areas. For example, in

agriculture, the building of public and private infrastructure that will help protect agricultural land is

not included.

The Strategy on Climate Change of the Lao PDR (SCC) was issued the year after publication of

NAPA.33

The SCC notes that, although – because of lack of long-term climate data – there been only

“limited assessment, analysis or projections regarding the potential climate change impacts on the

physical and social environment in Lao PDR, increasing anecdotal evidence from the country has

shown that the dry season is becoming longer, that droughts are more frequent and more severe, and

that the incidence of unusual and extreme flood events is escalating”. The vision of the SCC is

therefore centred on mitigation and adaptation to climate change in a way that promotes sustainable

development, while reducing poverty and protecting natural resources and public health and safety.

The Goals comprise measures to achieve low-carbon economic growth, increased resilience to climate

change and its impact, enhanced cooperation with national stakeholders and international partners,

and improved public awareness about climate change causes, vulnerability and impact in order to

“increase stakeholder willingness to take actions” (SCC p.8).

The guiding principles behind the SCC can be summarized as: (i) mainstreaming climate change

adaptation and mitigation as a core element in the 7th NSEDP; (ii) working with international partners

for capacity building and technology transfer for low-carbon growth; (iii) building national capacity

among all stakeholders as a pressing priority; (iv) developing and implementing appropriate and

integrated adaptation and mitigation solutions; (v) adopting appropriate financial packages to ensure

optimal plan implementation; and (vi) increasing public awareness of climate change impacts and the

need for adaptation and mitigation.

The SCC recognizes Lao PDR as one of the countries that are most vulnerable to climate change, due

to its “high dependence on climate-sensitive natural resources and low adaptive capacity” (SCC p.8).

Virtually all sectors are at risk, including the entire agricultural sector (comprising forestry, animal

33 This ordering is somewhat unusual; it would normally be expected that, for any given sector or subsector, the

action plan would be published either at the same time as the strategy document or shortly afterwards.

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husbandry and fisheries, as well as crops). The poor are particularly vulnerable because of their high

dependency on farming and natural resources, such as aquatic resources and NTFPs. The strategic

response to this begins with a reliable National Early Warning System.

In agriculture, adaptation options are based on: (i) mainstreaming climate change awareness into

policies, strategies and plans; (ii) promoting conservation agriculture; (iii) improving monitoring of

water resources and rehabilitating the flood control system; (iv) supporting community-based

adaptation measures; (v) undertaking research on vulnerability, impacts and adaptation options; (vi)

enhancing information dissemination and extension support; and (vii) improving cooperation

mechanisms. Mitigation priorities include reducing methane emissions from paddy fields, from

enteric fermentation and livestock manure, and promoting new technologies such as biogas digesters.

In forestry and land use adaptation, options are centred on: (i) incorporating climate change

concerns in policy and planning; (ii) expanding protected areas; (iii) promoting mixed species

forestry; (iv) assisting natural regeneration; (v) strengthening forest fire prevention and management;

(vi) gathering information and modelling climate change/forest dynamics; and (vii) enhancing

biodiversity conservation and management to ensure sustainability. Noting that land use change and

its effects on forestry are primarily responsible for greenhouse gas emissions in the country the SCC

adopts the following mitigation priorities: (i) afforesting degraded forests and ending slash and burn

agriculture by encouraging alternative livelihood opportunities; (ii) reducing off-site burning by

providing alternative fuels for forest-dependent communities; (iii) reducing forest fires; (iv)

promoting integrated forest management; (v) establishing effective land use mapping and planning;

and (vi) promoting the “Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation and

Conservation in developing countries” (REDD+) approach by implementing more reforestation and

afforestation programmes.

The SCC also contains sections on climate change adaptation and mitigation in water resources,

energy and transport, industry, urban development and public health. Hence the Strategy extends its

priority sectors beyond the four areas adopted in NAPA, and also proposes action to mitigate the

effects of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture.

An important difference between the NAPA and the SCC is that, while the former document basically

deals with climate change mitigation in terms of mitigating the effects of climate change specifically

on Lao PDR, the SCC also discusses the contribution that Lao PDR can make to mitigation of climate

change itself, through low carbon growth in agriculture and forestry, as listed above.

A2.1.6 Linking Policies

A proactive, integrated approach to Disaster Risk Management and Disaster Risk Reduction, linking

them to poverty reduction, food and nutrition security and the emerging challenges of climate change

is a new priority for the GOL, as reflected in the National Strategic Plan for Disaster Risk

Management 2003-2020, MAF’s new Strategy for Agricultural Development 2011-2020, particularly

in programmes 1, 3, 5 and 7, and also in Lao PDR’s 2010 Strategy for Climate Change. MAF has

implicitly given high priority to incorporating a process of integrating DRM into sectoral development

plans, by preparing a Plan of Action for MAF to contribute from the agricultural perspective in

coordination with the National Disaster Management Committee (NDMC), the National Disaster

Management Office (NDMO) and other line ministries and departments, to produce a strengthened

national DRM system.

83

ANNEX 2

DISTRIBUTION OF GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE ACROSS ITS

FOUR PRIORITY SECTORS

Sector

As percentage of total recurrent

expenditure

As percentage of total expenditure

2008/09* 2009/10* 2010/11** 2008/09* 2009/10* 2010/11**

Agriculture 1.8 1.8 1.6 0.9 0.8 0.7

Education 13.5 12.7 13.3 6.5 5.5 5.9

Health 3.6 3.7 3.7 5.6 4.5 7.2

Infrastructure 1.0 1.3 1.0 26.4 32.2 22.1

ALL FOUR

SECTORS

19.9 19.5 19.6 45.8 52.9 44.7

Agriculture as

percentage of the four

sectors

9.04 9.23 8.16 1.96 1.51 1.57

* Actual, ** Estimated

Source: based on World Bank 2012

84

ANNEX 3

PAST AND ONGOING PROJECTS OF FAO IN LAO PDR34

Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) - National

No. Project Code Project Title EOD NTE Implementing

Agencies

Budget

USD

1. TCP/LAO/3102 TCP Facility Sept. 2006 Feb. 2007 18 980

2. TCP/LAO/3103 Strengthening the policy, strategy and project

formulation and management capacity of MAF

Aug. 2007 Dec. 2009 MAF 312 335

3. TCP/LAO/3202 Strengthening the capacity for the statistical assessment

of the situation and outlook of rice

July 2008 June 2009 MAF 470 671

4. TCP/LAO/3104 Emergency assistance to support the rehabilitation of the

livelihood of flood-affected families

Dec. 2008 Dec. 2009 MAF 338 349

5. TCP/LAO/3201 TCP Facility Apr. 2008 Feb. 2010 275 879

6. TCP/LAO/3301 Sustainable insect farming and harvesting for better

nutrition, improved food security, and household income

generation

May 2010 Apr. 2012 MOH 475 000

7. TCP/LAO/3302 TCPF – To support (i) Preparation of Project for

monitoring System in MAF and (ii) Khangpho Research

Station Assessment Mission.

Jan. 2011 Apr. 2012 MAF 122 452

34

This list consists of ongoing and completed projects since 2008.

85

8. TCP/LAO/3303 (D) Development of the monitoring system of MAF Jan. 2012 Dec. 2013 MAF 397 000

9. TCP/LAO/3401

BABY 01

TCPF – to support the development of CPF with MAF May 2012 Dec. 2013 MAF 74 000

10. TCP/LAO/3401

BABY 02

Preparation of the Project Identification Form (PIF) and

Project Preparation Grant (PPG) for the Xe Champone

Ramsar Wetlands in Lao PDR

Nov. 2012 May 2013 MONRE 21 579

11. TCP/LAO/3401

BABY 03

Strengthening Agrometeorological Information System

and Land Use Planning

Dec. 2012 Dec. 2013 MONRE 18 888

12. TCP/LAO/3401

BABY 04

Support to the National Assembly on Adopting the

Voluntary Guidelines on Land Tenure Governance in

Land Policy of Lao PDR

May 2013 Dec. 2013 National

Assembly

9 788

13. TCP/LAO/3401

BABY05

TCPF – Action Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction in

Agriculture

June 2013 Dec. 2013 MAF 86 863

14. TCP/LAO/3402 Support to the Development of a National Food and

Nutrition Security Strategy

July 2013 Dec. 2013 MAF 220 000

15. TCP/LAO/3403 Developing an implementation strategy for capture

fisheries and aquaculture management and development

in Lao PDR

July 2013 Dec. 2014 MAF 423 000

86

Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) - Regional

1. TCP/RAS/3006 Diagnostic laboratory and surveillance network

coordination for control and prevention of avian

influenza in Southeast Asia

Mar. 2004 Feb. 2006 MAF 320 156

2. TCP/RAS/3102 Village Level Processing – Empowerment through

enterprise skills development

Feb. 2006 July 2007 MAF 335 752

3. TCP/RAS/3209 (D) Methodologies and tools for food consumer market

research (China, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam)

June 2009 May 2010 NUOL 448 000

4. TCP/RAS/3210 (D) Linking communities in Southeast Asia to forestry

related voluntary carbon markets (Cambodia, Indonesia,

Lao PDR, the Philippines and Thailand)

July 2009

June 2011

MAF 474 000

5. TCP/RAS/3211 (E) Emergency assistance for surveillance of novel influenza

A subtype H1N1 viruses in pig and poultry production

sectors in high risk Southeast Asian countries (ASEAN)

Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar,

Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam.

July 2009 June 2010 MAF 500 000

6. TCP/RAS/3212 (D) Assisting countries in Southeast Asia towards achieving

pesticide regulatory harmonization (Cambodia,

Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines,

Thailand and Viet Nam).

Dec. 2009 May 2011 MAF 458 000

7. TCP/RAS/3215 (D) Assistance on diagnosis and management of porcine

reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) and

other swine diseases to improve swine health status in

selected countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, the

Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam.

Jan. 2010 June 2011 MAF 445 000

87

8. TCP/RAS/3307 (D) Applying assisted natural regeneration (ANR) for

restoring forest ecosystem services in Southeast Asia

(Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR and Thailand)

Sept. 2010 Sept. 2012 MAF 465 000

9. TCP/RAS/3310 (D) Capacity development to reduce post-harvest losses in

horticulture chains in GMS countries (Cambodia, Lao

PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam)

Jan. 2011

Dec. 2012

MAF 451 000

10. TCP/RAS/3311 Capacity building for spread prevention and

management of cassava pink mealybug in the GMS:

Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and

Viet Nam

Feb. 2011 Dec. 2012 MAF 491 000

11. TCP/RAS/3402 Bioenergy and food security in ASEAN countries Apr. 2012 Mar. 2014 ASEAN

Secretariat

488 000

12. TCP/RAS/3403

BABY 01

TCP Facility on crop supply and demand analysis in

Cambodia and Lao PDR

May 2012 Aug. 2013 51 359

13. TCP/RAS/3403

BABY 02

Capacity building for promoting good fish stock

enhancement practices in MRC members

Sept. 2012 Aug. 2013 MRC 68 614

14. TCP/RAS/3403

BABY 03

Developing climate-smart food and agricultural systems

in ASEAN

Oct. 2012 Dec. 2012 ASEAN

Secretariat

60 056

15. TCP/RAS/3405 Institutional Capacity Strengthening for Analysis,

Design and Dissemination of Policy Approaches to

Address Risk and Vulnerability of the Rural Poor at the

Country Level

Apr. 2013 Mar. 2015 MAF 458 000

16. TCP/RAS/3409 Building statistical capacity for quality food security and

nutrition information in support of better-informed

policies

Aug. 2013 July 2015 MAF 450 000

88

Trust Fund Project: TF (GCP/UTF) - National

1. GCP/LAO/017/SWI Second Lao Census of Agriculture 2010 (USD 650 000)

plus AusAID AU$ 100 000 (contribution)

July 2010 Nov. 2013 MAF 730 001

2. GCP/LAO/017/AUL Second Lao Census of Agriculture 2010 July 2010 May 2013 MAF 394 409

3. UTF/LAO/018/LAO Technical assistance for the development of the SPS-

related legal framework in Lao PDR

Apr. 2011 Nov. 2012 MOIC 391 042

4. UNTS/LAO/015/GEF

(under LOA form)

Mainstreaming biodiversity in Lao PDR’s agricultural

and land management policies, plans and programmes

(NABP)

June 2012 June 2015 MAF 884 325

Trust Fund Projects – Regional

1. GCP /RAS/191/AUL FAO Inter-Country Programme to Strengthen IPM

Training and Sustain IPM Practices among Vegetable

Farmers in South and Southeast Asia (Phase II of the

IPM Inter-Country Programme)

July 2003 Dec. 2006 MAF 1 856 712

2. GCP /RAS/189/USA Support for the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission for

Enhancing Forest Management Through Improved

Forest Harvesting

Sept. 2002 June 2007 MAF 120 001

3. GCP /RAS/206/ASB Transboundary Animal Disease (TAD) Control in the

Greater Mekong Subregion

June 2005 May 2007 MAF 1 000 000

4. GCP /RAS/184/JPN Strengthening Regional Data Exchange System on Food

and Agricultural Statistics in Asia and Pacific Countries

Dec. 2001 Dec. 2007 MAF 1 252 930

5. GCP /RAS/192/JPN Enhancing Sustainable Forest Harvesting in Asia June 2003 June 2008 MAF 810 073

6. GCP /RAS/216/NZE Technical Assistance in Phytosanitary Legislation –

Regional (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Viet Nam)

Dec. 2005 June 2008 MAF 50 265

89

7. GCP /RAS/209/NOR FAO Inter-Country Programme for the Development

and Application of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

in Vegetable Growing in South and Southeast Asia,

Phase II

Jan. 2005 Dec. 2008 MAF 5 462 541

8. GCP /RAS/207/NZE Improving Food Safety and its Management in

Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam

Jan. 2005 Dec. 2009 1 149 520

9. GCP /RAS/225/ASB The Future of Forests and Biodiversity in the Greater

Mekong Subregion: The Outlook for 2020

Apr. 2007 Dec. 2009 MAF 250 000

10. GCP/RAS/233/ASB Transboundary Animal Disease (TAD) Control for

Poverty Reduction in the Greater Mekong Subregion

Jan. 2008 July 2011 MAF 1 490 145

11. GCP /RAS/221/JPN Strengthening coordination network for diagnosis and

surveillance for the control and prevention of Highly

Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Southeast Asia

Sept. 2006 Aug. 2011 MAF 631 219

12. GCP /RAS/222/JPN Enhancing Food Safety by Strengthening Food

Inspection Systems in the ASEAN Countries

Feb. 2007 Aug. 2011 1 270 106

13. GCP /RAS/223/JPN Support to the FAO Programme on Capacity Building in

Food Safety in selected ASEAN Countries

Feb. 2007 Aug. 2011 849 842

14. GCP /RAS/226/JPN Cooperation for the improvement for phytosanitary

capacity in Asian countries through capacity building

Jan. 2007 Dec. 2011 1 413 927

15. GCP/RAS/240/JPN Capacity building and enhanced regional collaboration

for the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic

resources in Asia: Bangladesh, India, Malaysia,

Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Viet Nam, and new

member countries (Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao

PDR, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan)

Nov. 2008 Oct. 2011 MAF 1 419 774

16. GCP /RAS/260/MUL Making forestry work for the poor: Adapting forest Mar. 2010 Dec. 2011 MAF 340 000

90

policies to poverty alleviation strategies in Asia and the

Pacific

17. GCP /RAS/240/JPN Capacity Building and Regional Collaboration for

Enhancing the Conservation and Sustainable Use of

Plant Genetic Resources in Asia

Mar. 2009 Feb. 2012 MAF 1 435 751

18. GCP/RAS/268/AIT Area-wide integrated pest management of fruit flies in

southeast Asian countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR,

Thailand and Viet Nam)

Aug. 2010 Aug. 2013 MAF 115 000

19. GCP/RAS/247/EC Support to the EC programme on linking information

and decision-making to improve food security for

selected Greater Mekong Subregional countries

Jan. 2009 Sept. 2012

MAF Euro 2

million

(2 587 322)

20. GCP/RAS/217/IFA Production of certified fruit and vegetables for export

from Lao PDR and Myanmar through integrated supply

chain management

Oct. 2008 Nov. 2012 MAF 1 664 866

21. GCP/RAS/249/IFA Medium-term cooperation Programme with Farmers’

Organizations in Asia and the Pacific Region

Nov. 2009 Dec.2012 MAF 1 083 000

22. GCP/RAS/244/ITA Subregional environmental animal health management

initiative for enhanced smallholder production in

Southeast Asia (SEAHMI): Cambodia, Lao PDR,

Myanmar, Philippines and Viet Nam.

June 2009 Oct. 2013 MAF 2 700 000

23. GCP/RAS/229/SWE

BABY 01

Pesticide risk reduction in Southeast Asia

Feb. 2007 Aug. 2013 MAF 6 749 4542

(6.5 million

Swedish

Kroner)

24. GCP/RAS/229/SWE

BABY 02

Phase II Pesticide Risk Reduction in Southeast Asia –

Policy Component

Sept. 2013 June 2018 MAF 1 250 000

91

25. GCP/RAS/229/SWE

BABY 03

Phase II - Pesticide Risk Reduction in Southeast Asia –

IPM Component

Sept. 2013 June 2018 MAF 5 499 999

26. GCP/RAS/276/IFA Pro-poor policy approaches to address risk and

vulnerability at the country level (Cambodia, Lao PDR,

Nepal and Viet Nam)

Feb. 2012 Feb. 2016 MAF 1 500 000

27. GCP/RAS/280/JPN Support to capacity building and implementation of

international food safety standards in ASEAN countries

(Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia,

Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet

Nam)

Jan. 2012 Dec. 2016 2 297 075

28. GCP/RAS/281/FRA Promotion of rural development through development of

Geographical Indications at regional level in Asia

Feb. 2013 Feb. 2016 MST 2 035 278

29. GCP/RAS/283/ROK Foot-and-Mouth Disease Control in Southeast Asia

through Application of the Progressive Control Pathway,

within the framework of Improving National

Preparedness for Transboundary Animal Infectious

Disease in Developing Countries in Southeast Asia

Nov. 2011 June 2015 MAF 2 610 000

30. GCP/RAS/284/JPN Enhancing Understanding and Implementation of the

International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for

Food and Agriculture in Asia

July 2012 July 2015 MAF 435 000

31. GCP/RAS/286/ROK Support to Capacity Development in Implementation of

Plant Pest Surveillance and Information Management in

Southeast Asian Countries

June 2013 May 2016 MAF 1 796 642

32. MTF/RAS/242/CFC Production of certified fruit and vegetable for export

from Lao PDR and Myanmar

Apr. 2009 July 2013 MAF 1 664 867

92

Emergency Projects - National

1. OSRO/LAO/101/BEL Emergency assistance to restore the livelihoods of

vulnerable farming families affected by floods in

Khammouane, Savannakhet and Champassak Provinces

in the Lao PDR

Feb. 2012 Oct. 2012 MAF 300 000

2. OSRO/LAO/201/AUS Promotion of home gardens for enhanced food and

nutrition security in northern upland areas affected by

multiple hazards.

Apr. 2012 Mar. 2013 MAF 268 097

Emergency Projects - Regional

1. OSRO/RAS/505/USA Immediate assistance for strengthening community-

based early warning and early reaction to Avian

Influenza outbreaks in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR,

PR China and Viet Nam

Sept. 2005 Mar. 2007 MAF 6 000 000

2. OSRO/RAS/602/JPN Strengthening the Control and Prevention of Highly

Pathogenic Avian Influenza and Enhancing Public

Awareness

Apr. 2006 Dec.2009 MAF 11 400 052

3. OSRO/RAS/601/ASB Regional Coordination of Avian Influenza Control and

Prevention in Asia

Apr. 2006 Aug. 2010 MAF 11 140 000

4. OSRO/RAS/604/USA Immediate technical assistance to consolidate and

expand emergency preparedness to prevent, detect and

combat Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in

Lao PDR

Aug. 2006 Sept. 2013

MAF 3 907 000

93

TeleFood Projects (on-going only)

1 TFD-10/LAO/001 Demonstration of goat farming in CADC and SomsaAth

village

Sept. 2011 Aug.2012 CADC 9 890

2 TFD-10/LAO/002 Improvement of goat production to generate income at

household level in Pakxaeng district, Louangprabang

province

Dec. 2011 Dec. 2012 Northern

Agriculture

and Forestry

College

9 815

3 TFD-10/LAO/009 Pig farming support to farmers in Nhot Ngum village,

Xiengkhouang province

Jan. 2012 Jan. 2013 DAFO 8 020

4 TFD-10/LAO/010 Pig raising to assist affected households in Phoukouth

district, Xiengkhouang province

Jan. 2012 Jan. 2013 DAFO 8 649

5 TFD-10/LAO/011 Cassava planting integrated with pig production, Pak Ou

district, Louangprabang province

Feb. 2012 Feb. 2013 NAFC 7 050

6 TFD-10/LAO/012 Pig raising in Donevay village, Soukhouma district,

Champassak province

Feb. 2012 Feb. 2013 DAFO 8 540

7 TFD-10/LAO/013 Pig raising in Mai village, Phonhong district, Vientiane

province

Feb. 2012 Feb. 2013 DAFO 9 465

8 TFD-10/LAO/014 Capacity building of poor rural ethnic group of farmers

in agricultural activities of Pathoumphomphone district,

Champassak province

Feb. 2012 Feb. 2013 NAFC 9 998

9 TFD-10/LAO/015 Pig raising demonstration to increase income to poor

families, Xiengda village, Xaysettha district, Vientiane

Capital

Feb. 2012 Feb. 2013 DAFO 9 847

10 TFD-10/LAO/016 Improvement of food availability and family income

generation at household level in the Lao PDR,

Houaxieng village, Xaythany district, Vientiane Capital

Feb. 2012 Feb. 2013 DAFO 9 589

94

11 TFD-10/LAO/017 Frog raising in Dongxiengdy village, Nasaythong

district, Vientiane Capital

Mar. 2012 Mar. 2013 DAFO 9 362

12 TFD-11/LAO/001 Local small-scale chicken production to increase

incomes of poor families in Pak Ngum district,

Vientiane Capital

June 2012 June 2013 DAFO 8 035

13 TFD-11/LAO/002 Catfish raising in Nongping Village, Chanthabouly

district

June 2012 June 2013 DAFO 8 109

14 TFD-11/LAO/005 Promotion of goat raising in rural areas of Oudomxay

province

Oct. 2012 Oct. 2013 DAFO 9 873

15 TFD-11/LAO/006 Pig production demonstration to increase low incomes of

households in Xaysettha district, Vientiane Capital

Nov. 2012 Nov. 2013 DAFO 8 029

16 TFD-11/LAO/006 Catfish raising in Bo Na Ngoua village, Chanthabouly

district, Vientiane Capital

Dec. 2012 Dec.2013 DAFO 8 274

17 TFD-12/LAO/001 Pig production demonstration to increase low incomes of

households in Phonhong district, Vientiane province

Sept. 2013 Sept. 2014 DAFO 9 881

95

ANNEX 4

THE CPF PRIORITY MATRIX

Government Policy FAO Strategic Objectives FAO Regional Priorities UNDAF Outcomes for Lao PDR

CPF Priority Area 1: Improved food and nutrition security through enhanced policy, planning and implementation mechanisms

Goal #1 of the Agricultural Development

Strategy: Improvement of livelihoods

(through agricultural and livestock

activities) has food security as its first

priority.

1: Contribute to the eradication of

hunger, food insecurity and

malnutrition

2: Increase and improve provision of

goods and services from agriculture,

forestry and fisheries in a sustainable

manner

3: Reduce rural poverty

1: Strengthening food and

nutritional security

2: Fostering agricultural

production and rural

development

1: By 2015, the government

promotes more equitable and

sustainable growth for poor people

in the Lao PDR

5: By 2015, vulnerable people are

more food-secure and have better

nutrition

CPF Priority Area 2: Environmentally sustainable production for the market by small farmers using value chain approach

Goal #2 of the Agricultural Development

Strategy: Increased and modernized

production of agricultural commodities

will lead to “pro-poor and green value

chains”, targeting domestic, regional and

global markets, based on organizations of

smallholder farmers and partnering

investments with the private sector

4: Enable more inclusive and

efficient agricultural and food

systems at local, national and

international levels

3: Enhancing equitable,

productive and sustainable

natural resource management

and utilization

1: By 2015, the government

promotes more equitable and

sustainable growth for poor people

in the Lao PDR

CPF Priority Area 3: Sustainable natural resource management for crops, forests, fisheries and livestock

Goal #3 of the Agricultural Development

Strategy: Sustainable production patterns,

including the stabilization of shifting

cultivation and climate change adaptation

measures, are adapted to the specific

socio-economic and agro-ecological

conditions in each region

Goal #4 of the Agricultural Development

Strategy: Sustainable forest management

will conserve biodiversity and will lead to

2: Increase and improve provision of

goods and services from agriculture,

forestry and fisheries in a sustainable

manner

3: Enhancing equitable,

productive and sustainable

natural resource management

and utilization

7: By 2015, the government ensures

sustainable natural resources

management through improved

governance and community

participation

96

significant quantitative and qualitative

improvements of the national forest

cover, providing valuable environmental

services and fair benefits to rural

communities well as public and private

forests and processing enterprises

CPF Priority Area 4: Reduced risk and vulnerability to natural and other disasters through prevention, preparedness, response and recovery

Disaster Management Strategy and Plan

to 2003-2020

Endorsing strategy of shifting from

disaster relief and rehabilitation after

disaster events into disaster risk

preparedness and prevention before

disasters occur, notably from floods,

droughts, landslides and fires. At the

same time continue to address severe

impacts in cases where disaster does

occur

5: Increase the resilience of

livelihoods to threats and crises

4: Improving capacity to

respond to food and

agricultural threats and

emergencies

7: By 2015, the government and

communities better adapt to and

mitigate climate change and reduce

natural disaster vulnerabilities in

priority sectors

97

ANNEX 5

COUNTRY-LEVEL COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGES OF FAO AND

OTHER DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS

A5.1 FAO’s Comparative Advantage

The review in Section 4 of this document indicates that FAO has the mandate, experience, capacity

and institutional memory to address the constraints and gaps identified in the previous section. The

linkages between these are mapped in Table A5.1 below.

Table A 5.1 Correspondence between FAO core functions and its in-country experience and the

identified constraints and gaps

Constraint/

Gap

FAO Strategic

Objective

Asia-Pacific Regional

Priority/Tools/Results

In-country Experience

Low Agricultural

Productivity

2. Increase and

improve provision

of goods and

services from

agriculture, forestry

and fisheries in a

sustainable manner

Priority 2. Fostering agricultural

production and rural

development

Multi-year experience with

agricultural development

projects in all subsectors

Policy

Implementation

Capacity

All “The primary tools will be

...capacity building”…

“Expected results include

enhanced policy

prescriptions…boosted

institutional capacity...”

Capacity development at

national and local levels

Information

Flows

All “Expected results include

regional assessment and

monitoring, capacity building

…”

Agricultural Censuses and

other statistical support;

staff development

Agricultural

Trade

4. Enable more

inclusive and

efficient

agricultural and

food systems at

local, national,

regional and

international levels

Priority 2d. “improve market

access for small-scale producers

and promote inclusive growth”

Technical assistance for the

development of the SPS-

related legal framework;

methodologies and tools

for food consumer market

research

Organic Produce

Green Value

Chains

Natural Resource

Management

2. Increase and

improve provision

of goods and

services from

agriculture, forestry

and fisheries in a

sustainable manner

Priority 3. Enhancing equitable,

productive and sustainable

natural resource management

and utilization

Policy assistance work in

forestry, fisheries,

biodiversity;

FAO assisted MAF in

drafting fisheries

legislation.

Food and

Nutrition

Security

1. Contribute to the

eradication of

hunger, food

Priority 1. Strengthening food

and nutritional security

Role in drafting NNP and

NNS/PoA; professional

capacity development;

98

insecurity and

malnutrition

regional studies

Table 5.1 (continued)

Constraint/

Gap

FAO Strategic

Objective

Asia-Pacific Regional

Priority/Tools/Results

In-country

Experience

Gender 3. Reduce rural

poverty

“The primary tools will be ...

gender mainstreaming ...”

National Gender

Profile for the

Agriculture

Households (2010);

report based on the Lao

Expenditure and

Consumption Surveys;

National Agriculture

Census and National

Population Census;

strengthening national

capacities for social

and sex-disaggregated

data in agriculture and

rural development

Risk,

Vulnerability and

Climate Change

5. Increase the

resilience of

livelihoods to

threats and crises

Priority 4. Improving capacity to

respond to food and agricultural

threats and emergencies

Technical support to a

Food Security Risk and

Vulnerability Survey

with nationwide

coverage, linked to the

2011 Agricultural

Census;

capacity building of

FIVIMS, focal point

committee and Core

Group for the

development of the

national FIVIMS in

Lao PDR;

two ongoing projects to

assist MAF to develop

a Disaster Management

Plan for the

Agricultural Sector,

based on a request

from MAF in April

2012

99

Table 5.1 (continued)

Climate Change 5. Increase the

resilience of

livelihoods to

threats and crises

Priority 5. Coping with the

impact of climate change on

agriculture and food and

nutritional security

Linking communities

in Southeast Asia

(including Lao PDR) to

forestry-related

voluntary carbon

markets

Interviews with other stakeholders revealed the following list of perceived comparative advantages of

FAO.

It is the UN agency that specializes in food, agriculture and natural resources in which, by virtue

of its membership, Lao PDR is an equal stakeholder

In May 2012, the Committee on World Food Security approved the Voluntary Guidelines on the

Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National

Food Security (VG), the first internationally negotiated UN agreement ever on tenure of land,

fisheries and forests. FAO is now providing support to its member countries in the

implementation of the VG

Government, civil society actors and donors see FAO as an agency with high technical capacity

in a wide range of areas

FAO has extensive field experience and expertise and the advantage of having a regional and

global approach, which means high potential for cross-country lesson learning; many of the

programmes and projects which FAO currently operates in Lao PDR are parts of larger regional

programmes

FAO has special strengths in policy analysis and in providing policy advice

Long-established partnerships may be revived under the GOL organizational reform programme

In food and agricultural statistics, FAO has been working for a long time – globally, regionally

and nationally; it knows the systems well and is recognized by MAF as having something

important to offer – for example, the recently published 2011 Agricultural Census, which was

well-received

The organization has a long experience of capacity development; each FAO project typically has

a capacity development component

FAO is widely used and respected as a source of information, globally, regionally and nationally.

For example, all agencies turn to FAO for market price information; when a rapid rice

assessment was required three years ago, FAO was able to supply much of the required

information

FAO maintains a focus on poverty reduction for smallholder farmers, which is in line with one of

the key “directions” of the 7th NSEDP, namely “poverty eradication, the aim being to reduce

income inequalities between rural and urban areas, between geographical areas and between rich

and poor” (see §2.3 above).

FAO works to address gender concerns in agriculture, rural development and food security

programmes and policies; it has worked extensively on issues related to gender-equitable access

to and control of resources, including land.

100

A5.2 Other Development Partners

Table A5.2 below shows how current programmes and projects of other development partners

currently active in Lao PDR fall under the Priority Areas that have been identified for the CPF.

Clearly there is a wide range of agencies involved and considerable activity under each of the four

priority areas as well as a number of themes that cut across all four of them. FAO-supported activities

under the CPF will have to be closely coordinated with the work of these development partners as part

of the programming approach.

Table A5.2 Donor-Funded Projects and Programmes Classified by the Priority Areas of the

Country Programming Framework

Priority Area Project/Programme [Agency]

1. Improved food and

nutritional security

through enhanced

policy, planning and

implementation

mechanisms

Sustainable Natural Resources Management and Agricultural Productivity

Enhancement Project [ADB-IFAD]

Northern Region Sustainable Livelihoods through Livestock Development

Project [ADB-IFAD-SDC]

Participatory Livestock Development [ADB]

Smallholder Development Project [ADB]

Study of Gender Inequality in Women’s Access to Land, Forests and Water

[ADB]

Community-managed Irrigation Development Project (ADB)

Northern Community-managed Irrigation Development Project (ADB)

Decentralized Irrigation Development Sector Project (ADB-AFD)

Smallholder Development Project – Additional Financing [ADB]

Lao PDR-Australia NGO Cooperation Agreements (LANGOCA) [AusAid-

Oxfam-CARE International-World Vision-Save the Children]

Dakcheung Food Security Project [EU]

Increasing Food Security and Promoting Licit Crop Production and Small

Farmer Enterprise Development in Huaphan Province, Lao PDR [EU]

Integrated Upland Development in Nonghet (UDIN) [EU]

Support to Vulnerable Households' Food Security and Nutrition in Xienghone

and Hongsa Districts, Xayabury Province [EU]

Sustainable Food Security Development Project [EU]

Promoting Appropriate Technology for Smallholders to Increase Food Security

among Indigenous Peoples (Annadya) in Attapeu (and Ratanakiri in Cambodia)

[EU]

Securing Water to Secure Food and Nutrition in Lao PDR (Sayabouri Province)

and Cambodia (Oddar Meanchey Province) [EU]

Development Programme, Mountainous Provinces of the North [AFD]

Integrated Rural Development in Poverty Regions of Lao PDR [GIZ]

Sustainable Natural Resources Management and Agricultural Productivity

Enhancement Project [ADB-IFAD]

Northern Region Sustainable Livelihoods through Livestock Development

Project [ADB-IFAD-SDC]

Rural Livelihoods Improvement Programme in Attapeu and Sayabouri [IFAD]

Soum Son Seun Jair Community-based Food Security and Economic

Opportunities [IFAD]

Participatory Irrigated Agriculture Development Project in Southern Areas

Along the Mekong (PIAD) [JICA-Lao PDR]

Livelihood Improvement Project for Southern Mountainous Area (LIPS) [JICA-

101

Lao PDR]

Irrigation Improvements and Community-based Management to Benefit

Bolikhamsay's Poorest Farmers [UNDP-India Brazil and South Africa Trust

Fund (IBSA)] [Luxembourg Development]

Addressing Pandemic Threats, Specifically Avian Influenza [USAID]

Social Services and Protection for Vulnerable Populations [USAID]

Mobilizing Ethnic Communities for Improved Livelihoods and Wellbeing

[World Bank]

Upland Food Security Improvement Project [World Bank]

Community Nutrition Project [World Bank]

LA-Poverty Reduction Fund II [World Bank]

Catalytic Fund EFA/FTI [World Bank]

2. Environmentally

sustainable

production for the

market by small

farmers using the

value chain

approach

The Northern Rural Infrastructure Development Sector Project [ADB]

Marketing Support for Organic Produce of Ethnic Minorities [ADB]

Decentralized Irrigation Development Sector Project [ADB-AFD]

Industrial Tree Plantation Project [ADB]

Improved Sanitary and Phytosanitary Handling

in Greater Mekong Subregion Trade Project [ADB]

Supporting Decentralized Rural Infrastructure Development [ADB]

Strengthening of Livestock Services and Extension Activities [EU]

Support to the Implementation of the Huaphanh Provincial Bamboo Sector

Development Strategy [EU]

Technical Assistance to Agrotechnology Sector (PROSA) [AFD]

Programme for Trade Capacity Building in the Coffee Industry [AFD]

Project Planning and Urban Development in Luang Prabang Province [AFD]

Human Resource Development for a Market Economy [GIZ]

Bamboo Preservation Enriches Lives and the Environment [UNDP, Oxfam

Novib-SNV-local nonprofit association, Gender Development Group (GDG)]

Improve Economic Policy in Lao PDR and Promote the Country's Efforts to

Transition to Open and Free Markets [USAID]

Priority Area Project/Programme (Agency)

3. Sustainable natural

resource

management for

crops, forests,

fisheries and

livestock

Sustainable Land Use by Poor Ethnic Minority Communities along GMS

Economic Corridor [ADB]

Sustainable Natural Resources Management and Agricultural Productivity

Enhancement Project [ADB-IFAD]

Shifting Cultivation Stabilization Pilot Project (ADB-UNODC)

Alternative Livelihoods for Upland Ethnic Groups in Houapanh Province

(ADB-JFPR)

Poverty Reduction through Land Tenure Consolidation, Participatory Natural

Resources Management, and Local Communities Skills Building Project

[ADB]

Nam Ngum River Basin Development Sector Project (ADB-AFD)

Nam Ngum River Basin Development Sector Project – Additional Financing

(ADB)

Lao PDR Enhanced Integrated Framework and Trade Development Facility

[AusAid-World Bank-EU-UNDP-Germany]

Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Lao PDR's Agricultural and Land Management

Policies, Plans and Programmes [UNDP-GEF-FAO]

National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Project [GEF-UNDP]

National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA) for Global Environmental

Management [GEF-UNDP]

Southern Provinces Rural Electrification II Programme [GEF-IBRD]

102

Priority Area Project/Programme (Agency)

Support the Implementation of the National Biosafety Framework of LAO PDR

[GEF-UNEP]

Meeting the Primary Obligations of the Rio Conventions through Strengthening

Capacity to Implement Natural Resources Legislation [UNEP-UNDP]

Strengthening Protection and Management Effectiveness for Wildlife and

Protected Areas [GEF-IBRD]

Environmental Communication and Education [GIZ]

Land Management and Rural Economic Development [GIZ]

Integrated Nature Conservation and Sustainable Resource Management in the

Hin Nam No Region [GIZ]

Promoting Rural Microfinance Services [GIZ]

Rural Development in Mountainous Areas of Lao PDR [RLIP-IFAD]

Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Lao PDR’s Agricultural and Land Management

Policies, Plans and Programmes [UNDP-GEF-FAO]

Poverty Environment Initiative [SDC-UNDP-UNEP]

Revamped Market Creates Brighter Future for Local Vendors [UNDP]

Poverty Environment Initiative [SDC-UNDP-UNEP]

Upland Food Security Project [World Bank]

Sustainable Silk Production Activities [World Bank]

Sustainable Silk Production Partnership in Rural Lao PDR (Trade Development

Facility [JSDF-World Bank]

Customs and Trade Facilitation Project [World Bank]

Trade Development Facility Project [World Bank]

Improved Cookstoves Programme, Lao PDR (Savannakhet, Khammuane,

Champasack and Vientiane provinces) [EU]

Sustainable Agroforestry Systems of Livelihood Enhancement for the Rural

Poor [ADB]

GMS Biodiversity Conservation Corridor Initiative (ADB)

GMS Biodiversity Conservation Corridor Project (ADB)

Poverty Reduction through Land Tenure Consolidation, Participatory Natural

Resources Management, and Local Communities Skills Building Project

(ADB)

Developing and Demonstrating Replicable Protected Area Management Models

at Nam Et – Phou Louey National Protected Area [GEF-IBRD]

Forestry Protection Project in Lao PDR [GIZ]

Partnering with the Lao Department of Forestry to Implement Country Action

on the Programme of Work on Protected Areas (PoWPA) – Sustainable

Management of National Protected Area Project (SuNPAM) [IUCN]

Participatory Land and Forest Management Project for Reducing Deforestation

(PAREDD) [JICA-Lao PDR]

Forestry Sector Capacity Development Project (FSCAP) [JICA-Lao PDR]

Programme for Forest Information Management (FIM) [JICA-Lao PDR]

Supporting the Implementation of the Environmental and Social Impact

Assessment Decree [UNEP]

Promoting Sustainable Forest Management and Responsible Timber Trade

[USAID]

Promoting Biodiversity Conservation and Combating Illegal Wildlife

Trafficking [USAID]

Sustainable Forestry for Rural Development [World Bank]

Lao Environmental and Social Project [World Bank]

4. Reduced risk and

vulnerability to

natural and other

Capacity Enhancement for Coping with Climate Change [ADB-Nordic Fund]

National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Project [GEF-UNDP]

103

Priority Area Project/Programme (Agency)

disasters through

prevention,

preparedness,

response and

recovery

National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA) for Global Environmental

Management [GEF-UNDP]

Improving the Resilience of the Agriculture Sector in Lao PDR to Climate

Change Impacts [GEF-UNDP]

Effective Governance for Small-scale Rural Infrastructure and Disaster

Preparedness in a Changing Climate [GEF-UNDP]

Climate Change Enabling Activity (Additional Financing for Capacity Building

in Priority Areas) [GEF-UNDP]

National Adaptation Programme of Action [GEF-UNDP]

Capacity Enhancement for Coping with Climate Change [ADB-Nordic Fund]

Improving the Resilience of the Agriculture Sector in Lao PDR to Climate

Change Impacts [UNDP]

Diversifying Crops to Cope with Climate Change [UNDP]

Mainstreaming Disaster and Climate Risk Management into Investment

Decisions [World Bank]

Climate Protection through Avoided Deforestation [GIZ]

Clean Air and Climate Change Mitigation for Smaller Cities in the ASEAN

Region [GIZ]

Capacity Development for Coping with Climate Change [ADB-NDF]

Harnessing Climate Change to Benefit Women (ADB-NDF)

Capacity Development on Disaster Risk Management [UNDP]

Cross-cutting themes Capacity Development for Gender Mainstreaming in the Agricultural Sector

[ADB]

Northern Uplands Development Programme [AFD-EU-GIZ-SDC]

National Integrated Water Resources Management Support Project (ADB-

AusAID-Spain)

Poverty Reduction Fund [AusAID-SDC-World Bank]

Project to Support Health Sector in Lao PDR [AFD]

Grant to Provide Electricity to Rural Villagers in LAO PDR [GEF]

Strengthening POPs Management Capacities and Demonstration of PCB

Destruction at the Energy Sector [GEF-UNIDO]

Rural Electrification Phase II

[GEF-IBRD]

Rural Infrastructure Programme [GIZ]

Micro Finance for Rural Areas – Access to Finance for the Rural Poor [GIZ]

Policy Think Tank at NAFRI [IFAD]

Supporting Implementing Elements of the 7th National Socio‐Economic

Development Plan, in collaboration with the UNDP Poverty Reduction Unit

[UNEP]

Improving the Capacity of National and Provincial Authorities in Planning and

Managing Private Investment for Pro‐poor, Pro‐environment Outcomes

[UNEP]

Developing Capacity for Research and Analysis on Economic Valuation of

Ecosystem Services, with Field Work on Land Use Changes in the Case Study

Province of Oudomxay [UNEP]

Poverty Reduction Fund [AusAID-SDC-World Bank]

Lao PDR Global Climate Change Alliance Programme (GCCA) [EU]

Khammoune Development Project [World Bank]

Lao Environmental and Social Project [World Bank]

Sources: Donor websites updated via interviews with Lao PDR-based staff of the major donor agencies in

agriculture and NRM.

104

ANNEX 6

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAO STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES/

ORGANIZATIONAL OUTCOMES AND THE PRIORITY OUTCOMES

OF THE CPF FOR LAO PDR

FAO Strategic Objectives/Organizational Outcomes Lao PDR CPF Outcomes

1. Contribute to the eradication of hunger, food

insecurity and malnutrition Organizational Outcome 1: Member countries and their

development partners make explicit political

commitments and allocate resources to eradicate hunger,

food insecurity and malnutrition.

Organizational Outcome 2: Member countries and their

development partners adopt and implement evidence-

based and inclusive governance mechanisms for

eradicating hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition.

Organizational Outcome 3: Member countries and their

development partners formulate, implement, monitor and

evaluate policies, programmes, investments and

legislation to eradicate food insecurity and malnutrition.

1. Effective policy instruments and mechanisms

for attaining national food and nutritional security

goals are designed and deployed

2. Increase and improve provision of goods and services

from agriculture, forestry and fisheries in a

sustainable manner Organizational Outcome 1: Producers and natural

resource managers adopt practices that increase and

improve the provision of goods and services in

agricultural sector production systems in a sustainable

manner.

Organizational Outcome 2: Stakeholders in member

countries strengthen governance – the policies, laws,

management frameworks and institutions that are needed

to support producers and resource managers – in the

transition to sustainable agricultural sector production

systems.

Organizational Outcome 3: Stakeholders develop, adopt

and implement international governance mechanisms and

related instruments (standards, guidelines,

recommendations, etc.) which are needed to improve and

increase provision of goods and services in agricultural

sector production systems in a sustainable manner.

Organizational Outcome 4: Stakeholders make evidence-

based decisions in the planning and management of the

agricultural sectors and natural resources to support the

transition to sustainable agricultural sector production

systems through monitoring, statistics, assessment and

analyses.

2. Strengthened enabling regulatory and

institutional environment for improved access of

smallholder farmers to agricultural markets

3. Strengthened governance – policies, laws,

strategies and community participation for

sustainable management of land, forestry, and

fisheries and aquaculture resources

3. Reduce rural poverty

Organizational Outcome 1: The enabling environment is

created or improved so that the rural poor have voice and

equitable access to resources, services, institutions and

2. Strengthened enabling regulatory and

institutional environment for improved access of

smallholder farmers to agricultural markets

3. Strengthened governance – policies, laws,

105

policy processes to move out of poverty.

Organizational Outcome 2: The enabling environment in

member countries is created or improved to increase

access by the rural poor to decent farm and non-farm

employment.

Organizational Outcome 3: The enabling environment is

created or improved for effective social protection to

enhance food security and nutrition, and sustainable

management of natural resources for the rural poor.

strategies and community participation for

sustainable management of land, forestry, and

fisheries and aquaculture resources

4. Enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural and

food systems at local, national and international levels

Organizational Outcome 1: Policies, regulatory

frameworks and public goods enhance inclusiveness and

efficiency of food, agriculture and forestry systems.

Organizational Outcome 2: Enhanced public-private

collaboration in addressing the challenges and risks faced

by smaller and disadvantaged participants in food and

agricultural systems.

Organizational Outcome 3: International agreements and

mechanisms promote inclusive and efficient markets.

1. Effective policy instruments and mechanisms

for attaining national food and nutritional security

goals are designed and deployed

5. Increase the resilience of livelihoods to threats and

crises Organizational Outcome 1: Countries and regions have

legal, policy and institutional systems and regulatory

frameworks for disaster and crisis risk management for

agriculture, food and nutrition.

Organizational Outcome 2: Countries and regions deliver

regular information and trigger timely actions against

potential, known and emerging threats to agriculture, food

and nutrition.

Organizational Outcome 3: Countries apply prevention

and impact mitigation measures that reduce risks for

agriculture, food and nutrition.

Organizational Outcome 4: Countries and regions affected

by disasters and crises with impact on agriculture, food

and nutrition are prepared for, and manage, effective

responses.

4. Enhanced capacity of government and

communities to adapt to and mitigate climate

change and reduce natural disaster vulnerabilities

related to agriculture, forestry and fisheries

106

ANNEX 7

CPF RESULTS MATRIX for Lao PDR (2013-2015)

CPF Priority Area 1: Improved food and nutrition security through enhanced policy, planning and implementation mechanisms

FAO Outcomes/Outputs Indicators35

Assumptions36

Key national

stakeholders

OUTCOME 1. Effective policy

instruments and mechanisms for

attaining national food and

nutritional security goals are

designed and deployed

Existence of a multi-sectoral national FNS strategy

(adopted by the government and in use to implement

actions included in 7th NSEDP)

Government continues interest and

commitment for introduction/implementation

of FNS strategies, investment programmes and

intersector coordination mechanisms;

The M&E framework agreement between

MAF and development partners leads to

greater confidence and cooperation, and

application of the M&E system methods;

System methods prove reliable and usefulness;

Relevant stakeholders understand the utility of

FNS information for decision-making and have

adequate skills, systems, and resources.

MAF, MOH, MOIC,

MPWT, MOE,

MLSW, MONRE,

MPI, NCRDPE,

national statistics

offices, CSOs

Existence of a national government multisectoral

investment programme addressing FSN (adopted by the

government)

Extent to which the M&E system methods are adopted

for monitoring of all public investment projects,

including ODA

Functional coordination mechanism in place for

collection and management of FNS data

Number and type of statistical publications and reports

integrating food security analysis aspects published on

regular basis (e.g. FBS, FSN status report)

Output 1.1 A national food and

nutrition security strategy, policy,

investment plan and its governance

framework developed

Draft National Food and Nutrition Security Strategy

available and submitted to government for approval Sector stakeholders’ commitment to integrate

FNS as a cross-cutting concern; NSEDP mid-

term review retains focus on food security and

nutrition

MAF, MOH, MOIC,

MPWT, MOE,

MLSW, MONRE,

MPI, NCRDPE,

CSOs

Existence of a draft multisector FNS investment plan and

programme

Intersectoral coordination mechanism for FNS set up

35

Baseline, targets and means of verifications will be developed and presented separately, serving as a flexible tool to manage the programme. 36

Output assumptions will be carefully monitored at the project/activity level, and integrated in the respective project log-frames and risk-assumption matrices.

107

Output 1.2 M&E system for MAF

developed in support of effective

monitoring and implementation of

projects strengthened

Targeted number of MAF staff with acquired skills

(M&E and other relevant staff at central, PAFO and

DAFO levels)

The Ministerial Instruction is understood and

supported by MAF managers; Successful

establishment of M&E units at central level

and in each of the MAF departments and

PAFOs participating in the pilot; Additional

resources for the upgrade of equipment

/software mobilized.

MAF (incl. PAFO,

DAFO levels

participating in the

pilot)

Number of provinces and districts where the new M&E

system is piloted

Output 1.3. Enhanced institutional and

government staff capacity for the

design and use of the Integrated Food

Security Phase Classification (IPC) for

better planning and response with FSN-

related interventions

Number of staff (analysts and trainers) at national and

subnational levels with acquired skills for IPC design and

its use in data analysis and planning

Government and other stakeholders’ interest on

the need and utility of a common classification

system; Funding available to conduct IPC,

covering both rural and urban areas.

MAF, MOH, MPI –

Lao Bureau of

Statistics and other

line ministries,

NCRDPE, CSOs IPC is designed and ready for approval

Output 1.4 Strengthened institutional

and staff capacity to analyse and

produce quality and timely FNS

statistics in support of better informed

policies and actions

Number of trained staff with acquired skills in data

collection, analysis of FSN information and reporting Relevant stakeholders understand the need and

utility of FNS and sex-disaggregated

information for decision-making; Resources

needed to collect and analyse statistics on food

and nutrition complement staff training.

MAF, National

Statistics Office

FSN, sex-disaggregated indicators mainstreamed into

national statistics

Institutional arrangement for coordinating food and

agriculture-related information established

Number and type of reports being produced relevant to

FNS (e.g. FBS, FSN status report)

Output 1.5. Support to small-scale,

gender-sensitive food security and

livelihood-oriented agricultural

programmes for vulnerable farm

households through distribution of

inputs, transfer of technologies and best

practices, including traditional

knowledge

Number of villages that introduce small-scale food

security programmes, by subsector categories Stakeholders/beneficiaries’ interest for the

adoption of new practices and technologies.

MAF (DoA, DLF,

DoI, DoPC, DAEC),

PAFO, DAFO,

direct beneficiaries.

Number of vulnerable beneficiaries able to apply and use

new technologies and best practices (disaggregated by

gender and programme type)

108

CPF Priority Area 2: Environmentally sustainable production for the market by small farmers using value chain approach

FAO Outcomes/Outputs Indicator(s) Assumptions Key national

stakeholders

OUTCOME 2. Strengthened enabling

regulatory and institutional

environment for improved access of

smallholder farmers to agricultural

markets

Number of new or revised SPS decrees and regulations

related to food safety, plant and animal health enacted

Relevant ministries remain committed to

ensuring WTO and ASEAN standards are

met and funding secured to ensure that

testing regime is operational and

sustainable in the long-run

MAF, MOJ, MOIC,

MOH, MPI, MOHA,

CSOs, private sector,

farmers’

organizations /

farmers

Degree of PCP-FMD achievement as result of FAO

support

FMD control programme that adopts a

structured and staged process along the

progressive pathway for measuring risk-to-

risk management and stages

Number of new smallholder farmers’ associations and

cooperatives formed

Farmers persuaded of benefits of joining

farmers’ associations and cooperatives.

Output 2.1 Sanitary and phytosanitary-

related legal framework further developed

in compliance with international standards

Number of new decrees, regulations and guidelines

related to food safety and plant and animal health

compliant with WTO and forthcoming ASEAN

requirements drafted Relevant ministries remain committed to

ensuring WTO and ASEAN standards are

met; Relevant public and private

stakeholders retain interest in applying the

new legislation

MAF, MOJ, MOIC Number of targeted specialists (MAF, MOH, MOIC,

MoJ) with acquired skills on principles of drafting SPS-

related legislation

Number of public and private stakeholders with enhanced

awareness on new legislation and its implications

Output 2.2. Improved inspection and

testing regime at all points of AVC to

meet Codex standards

Existence of an inspection and enforcement regime that

meets Codex standards Funding secured for construction of

laboratory equipped for testing of

foodstuff

MOH, MAF, MPI,

MOIC, CSOs Number of targeted staff at national, provincial and

district level with acquired skills to apply/enforce

improved standards

Output 2.3 Strengthened institutional and

technical capacity in the control and

management of FMD and other TAD

FMD control and contingency plan at the national level

prepared Countries view PCP as a viable means of

managing and controlling FMD; National

human resources and supporting

infrastructure are adequate to support

project implementation

MAF (DLF) Number of targeted “paravets” and “agri-vets” with

acquired skills for control and management of FMD and

other TADs

Output 2.4 Strengthened legal and Number of relevant legal and regulatory legislations Sufficient official commitment to MAF (DoA -

109

regulatory framework for agricultural

inputs to promote organic agriculture and

GAP

drafted to meet internationally-accepted standards for

organic agriculture and GAP

improving legislative and regulatory

environment and introducing

internationally recognized certification

system

Standards Division)

Regionally/internationally recognized certification system

developed for organic produce and GAP

Output 2.5 Farmers trained to produce

GAP/IPM-certified agricultural products

and farmer-market linkages developed

Existence of revised, simplified regulations for

registering farmer associations and cooperatives Sufficient official commitment to

simplifying regulations and farmers’

interest/awareness of benefits of being a

member of farmer associations/

cooperatives.

MAF, MOHA,

MOIC, MOJ,

NCAW, farmers’

organizations /

farmers, CSOs

Number of farmers with increased awareness on the

benefits of scale economies (gender/age-disaggregated)

Number of new/existing farmer groups with enhanced

business and marketing skills

Output 2.6 Institutional and individual

capacities of AVC actors (public, private

groups, farmer groups) enhanced in the

adoption of sustainable and innovative

approaches and practices to support the

greening of selected AVC, including post-

harvest handling and processing, market

linkages and logistics

Number of AVCs for which the relevant actors are

trained at all levels of the value chain Interest of key AVC actors for adoption of

new approaches, practices and supporting

tools; Full support and cooperation of

small farmers and other AVC and private

sector during activities implementation.

MAF, MOIC, MOJ,

CSOs, private sector MIS for selected value chains established

CPF Priority Area 3: Sustainable natural resource management for crops, forests, fisheries and livestock

FAO Priority Outcome and Outputs Indicator(s) Assumptions Partners

OUTCOME 3. Strengthened

governance – policies, laws, strategies

and community participation for

sustainable management of land,

forestry, and fisheries and aquaculture

resources

Number of wetlands for which a plan for climate change

management, and participatory management, is adopted

Continued government and

local community commitment

to RAMSAR convention and

implementation of NAPA

actions

MONRE, CSOs,

provincial, district and

village stakeholders

Area managed jointly by communities in targeted areas

Forest law is successfully

enforced; Partners accept

participatory forest

management across sectors

MAF, MONRE, provincial

and district authorities,

CSOs, local communities

Number of District Participatory Territorial Development Plans

approved by government

Government supports

expansion of participatory land

use planning

Land Management

Authority, provincial and

district authorities

110

% of respondents in target communities that agree that local

management of fisheries is sustainable

Communities follow fisheries

management regulations

MAF (DFL, DoPC),

NAFRI

Output 3.1 Concession agriculture

rationalized within a general land tenure

policy framework and regulations

Newly drafted land tenure and concession policies and

regulations mainstream main principles of internationally

adopted non-binding instruments37

Key stakeholders recognize

and accept the adoption of the

new voluntary guidelines

MAF, MONRE, National

Assembly

Output 3.2 Capacity for participatory

land and other natural resources

management at the local level improved

through promotion and use of field-

tested, gender-sensitive, participatory

development tools and approaches

Existence of a draft new land use and resource development

plan

Land Management Authorities

at national, provincial and

district level accept and

implement new land use and

resource development plan;

Adequate capacity at

provincial and district levels

available

Land Management

Authority, provincial and

district authorities Number of district and provincial zoning strategies

incorporating national land use plans with FAO support

Output 3.3 Enhanced ability of

communities and the government

stakeholders for inclusive community-

based forest management

Existence of draft guidelines for inclusive community-based

forest management

Sufficient official commitment

to creating/simplifying

regulations;

ANR approach and

implementation endorsed by

the government

MAF, MONRE, CSOs,

local communities

Number of model sites for ANR of forest ecosystems piloted in

selected districts

Number of districts with enhanced ability to implement and

replicate the ANR approach

Output 3.4 Enhanced capacity of

communities, local and central

administration in design, prioritization

and implementation of climate change

adaptation and disaster management

measures in targeted wetlands

Number of wetlands under Ramsar Convention for which a draft

strategy for participatory management of wetlands is prepared

Continued government and

local community commitment

to RAMSAR convention and

implementation of NAPA

actions; Strong cross-sector

collaboration; Community

embraces involvement

MONRE, CSOs,

provincial, district and

village stakeholders –

Provincial Ramsar

Committees; Provincial

and District Disaster

Management Committees;

River Basin Committees.

Number of communities, districts and provincial stakeholders

with acquired skills in participatory climate change adaptation

and disaster management planning and M&E

37

e.g. Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (FAO); Principles for Responsible Agricultural Investment that Respects

Rights, Livelihoods and Resources: Synoptic Version” (FAO, IFAD, UNCTAD and the World Bank)

111

Climate change adaptation and disaster management measures

are integrated into the management plans in targeted wetlands

and corresponding district, provincial and subcatchment/river

basin development plans or disaster management plans.

Output 3.5 An implementation strategy

for capture fisheries and aquaculture

developed

Existence of a draft national strategy for capture fisheries and

aquaculture management addressing climate change and

variability Government accepts need for a

national strategy and is

prepared to implement it

MAF (DLF, DoPC),

NAFRI Number of policy briefs prepared in support of updating the

subsectoral policies

CPF Priority Area 4: Reduced risk and vulnerability and to natural and other disasters through prevention, preparedness, response and recovery

FAO Priority Outcome and Outputs Indicator(s) Assumptions Partners

PRIORITY OUTCOME 4. Enhanced

capacity of government and

communities to adapt and mitigate

climate change and reduce natural

disaster vulnerabilities related to

agriculture, forestry and fisheries

DRRM mainstreamed into agriculture sector development plan (related

national DRRM plan);

Existence of an action plan for DRR in agriculture

Commitment from MAF and

other government agencies to

integrate DRRM into sector

policies/strategies/

programmes; Communities

see value of the new DRRM

approaches and continue to

apply them

National Disaster

Management

Office, MAF,

MONRE, MOJ,

National

Assembly, private

sector

Existence of new legislative and regulatory framework addressing DRM by

and across sectors

Progress towards adoption of risk preparedness and risk reduction

mechanism in target communities38

% of trained households in targeted communities that have adopted

selected location-specific DRRM animal husbandry, aquaculture,

agriculture and agroforestry practices and technologies (disaggregated by

type of activity)

Disaster preparedness, mitigation and post-disaster recovery plan in place

38 Adopted from UNDAP –indicator 8.1, FAO, UNDP; UN-HABITAT; Methodology provided in UNDAP.

112

Output 4.1: Enhanced capacity of

relevant stakeholders to mainstream

DRRM approaches into specific sectoral

(agriculture, forestry, fisheries) and

cross-sectoral (nutrition, food security,

food safety) plans, policies and legal

frameworks

Existence of a draft, integrated DRRM Plan of Action for agriculture,

fisheries and forestry

MAF and other government

agencies recognize the

importance of DRRM and are

willing and empowered to

make necessary changes;

Correct assessment made of

the gaps and changes National Disaster

Management

Office, MAF,

MONRE (DMH,

Department of

Climate Change

and Disaster

Management)

Existence of new draft of a legal and regulatory framework integrating

DRRM concerns by and across sectors

Output 4.2: Developed institutional and

technical staff capacity at national,

provincial and district levels for

agroclimatic monitoring, analysing and

disseminating information related to

climate variability and its impact on the

agriculture sector

Improved system for the collection of agrometeorological data in place,

integrating all relevant agrometeorological information MAF maintains interest in

development of capacity to

deal with climate change

issues; Local planners and

communities are capable of,

and willing to, use data in

formulating action plans;

Necessary qualified staff,

equipment and other facilities

for forecasting are available

New crop monitoring and yield forecasting system in place

Number of local level action plans developed and piloted using

agrometeorological data

Number of targeted staff at national, provincial and district level with

acquired skills to monitor, analyse and use agrometeorological data for

decision-making

Number of targeted MAF staff at provincial and district level and FFS

facilitators with acquired skills on the use of climate change information

for adoption of sustainable farming practices

Output 4.3 Enhanced capacity of

communities in the identification, use

and dissemination of location-specific

and gender-sensitive DRRM practices

and technologies in the areas of

agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries,

animal husbandry and NTFPs (through

FFS and enhanced research-extension-

farmer interaction)

Number and type of community-based location-specific and gender-

sensitive DRRM good practice options piloted in selected communities

Local authorities willing to

implement community-based

DRM-related activities;

Good practice technology

options for enhanced

production are widely

accepted and promoted by

farmers

National Disaster

Management

Office, MAF,

MONRE,

NCAW, CSOs

Number of extension staff, field technicians and farmers/households with

acquired skills to use selected location-specific DRRM practices and

technologies in selected communities

113

Number of districts in which the new DRRM practices and technologies

are disseminated through FSS using FAO curriculum and assistance

Output 4.4 Enhanced institutional and

technical capacity to effectively and

accountably manage food security and

agriculture crises – from disaster

preparedness through emergency

response to post-recovery

Number staff with increased capacity in disaster management through

trainings received on food-based approached to nutrition and methods on

drought-resistant fish ponds Central and local authorities

implement the national plan

on disaster preparedness,

mitigation and post-disaster

recovery

National Disaster

Management

Office, MAF,

MONRE, CSOs

Existence of a draft disaster preparedness, mitigation and post-disaster

recovery plan

Emergency preparedness and response system in place

114

ANNEX 8

THE CPF ACTION PLAN

PRIORITY OUTCOME 1.1. Effective policy instruments for attaining national food and

nutritional security goals are designed and deployed

Priority Output

Organizations

responsible and

partners

CPF Programme Cycle - Calendar

2013 2014 2015

1.1 A national food and

nutrition security strategy,

policy, investment plan and its

governance framework

developed

MAF, FAOR, MOH,

MOIC, MPWT, MOE,

MLSW, NDMO,

MONRE, MPI, CSOs

1.2 M&E system for MAF

developed in support of

effective monitoring and

implementation of projects

strengthened

MAF, FAOR

1.3 Enhanced institutional and

government staff capacity for

the design and use of the

Integrated Food Security Phase

Classification (IPC) for better

planning and response on FSN-

related interventions

MAF, FAOR

1.4 Strengthened institutional

and staff capacity to analyse

and produce quality and timely

FNS statistics in support of

better informed policies and

actions

MAF, FAOR

1.5 Support to small-scale,

gender-sensitive food security

and livelihood-oriented

agricultural programmes for

vulnerable farm households

through distribution of inputs,

transfer of technologies and

best practices, including

traditional knowledge

MAF, FAOR

PRIORITY OUTCOME 2. Strengthened enabling regulatory, and institutional environment for

improved access of smallholder farmers to agricultural markets

Priority Output

Organizations

responsible and

partners

2013 2014 2015

2.1 Sanitary and phytosanitary-

related legal framework further

developed in compliance with

international standards

MAF, MOIC, FAOR

2.2 Improved inspection and

testing regime at all points of

AVC to meet Codex standards

MAF, MOH, MOIC,

FAOR

115

2.3 Strengthened institutional

and technical capacity in the

control and management of

FMD and other TAD

MAF, FAOR

2.4 Strengthened legal and

regulatory framework for

agricultural inputs to promote

organic agriculture and GAP

MAF, FAOR

2.5 Farmers trained to produce

GAP/IPM-certified agricultural

products and farmer-market

linkages developed

MAF

2.6 Institutional and individual

capacities of AVC actors

(public, private groups, farmer

groups) enhanced in the

adoption of sustainable and

innovative approaches and

practices to support the

greening of selected AVC,

including post-harvest handling

and processing, market linkages

and logistics

MAF

PRIORITY OUTCOME 3. Strengthened governance – policies, laws, strategies and community

participation for sustainable management of land, forestry, and fisheries and aquaculture resources

Priority Output

Organizations

responsible and

partners

2013 2014 2015

3.1 Concession agriculture

rationalized within a general

land tenure policy framework

and regulations

MAF, FAOR,

MONRE

3.2 Capacity for participatory

land and other natural resources

management at the local level

improved through promotion

and use of field-tested, gender-

sensitive, participatory

development tools and

approaches

MAF, MONRE,

FAOR, CSOs

3.3 Enhanced ability of

communities and the

government stakeholders for

inclusive community-based

forest management

MAF, MONRE,

FAOR, CSOs

3.4 Enhanced capacity of

communities, local and central

administration in design,

prioritization and

implementation of climate

change adaptation and disaster

management measures in

targeted wetlands

MAF, MONRE,

FAOR, provincial,

district and village

stakeholders – Provincial

Ramsar Committees;

Provincial and District

Disaster Management

Committees, River Basin

Committees. CSOs

116

3.5 An implementation strategy

for capture fisheries and

aquaculture developed

MAF (DLF), FAOR

PRIORITY OUTCOME 4. Enhanced capacity of government and communities to adapt to and

mitigate climate change and reduce natural disaster vulnerabilities related to agriculture, forestry

and fisheries

Priority Output

Organizations

responsible and

partners

2013 2014 2015

4.1 Enhanced capacity of

relevant stakeholders to

mainstream DRRM approaches

into specific sectoral

(agriculture, forestry, fisheries)

and cross-sectoral (nutrition,

food security, food safety)

plans, policies and legal

frameworks

MAF, MONRE,

National Disaster

Management Office,

FAOR

4.2 Developed institutional and

technical staff capacity at

national, provincial and district

levels for agroclimatic

monitoring, analysing and

disseminating information

related to climate variability

and its impact on the agriculture

sector

MAF, MONRE,

National Disaster

Management Office,

FAOR

4.3 Enhanced capacity of

communities in the

identification, use and

dissemination of location-

specific and gender-sensitive

DRRM practices and

technologies in the area of

agriculture, aquaculture,

fisheries, animal husbandry and

NTFPs (through FFS and

enhanced research-extension-

farmer interaction)

MAF, MONRE,

National Disaster

Management Office,

NCAW, FAOR,

CSOs, local

communities

4.4 Enhanced institutional and

technical capacity to effectively

and accountably manage food

security and agriculture crises –

from disaster preparedness

through emergency response to

post-recovery

MAF, MONRE,

National Disaster

Management Office,

FAOR, CSOs, local

communities