Project: SAEDA (Sustainable Agriculture & Environment Development) Project 1

• Awareness
• Integrated Pest Management
• SRI
• Standards

Sustainable Agriculture: promoted the OA and GAP production practices for vegetable production to farmers in XK. Promoted the SRS (sustainable rice system) in XK, then Luangnamtha and Oudomxay. The SA activities were brought to Luangnamtha in the form of extension agriculture and nutrition project with CCL and CARE partners, that bring most successful activities to the new target area. this action go along with awareness on agriculture chemical (e.g pesticide as bellow).
Awareness on environmental safeguard & Chemical pesticide risk reduction:
It is focus in the pesticide management with aims to reduce the use and the risk of pesticides. Target groups are schoolchildren villagers and farmers, through the posters [3,4,5], handbooks [10,11] and video (Lao 44 website). Main implementers of the awareness are district staff from: DAFO, Environment, Public Health, Planning and investment, industry and commerce, women union offices. SAEDA supporting these staffs on capacity building on pesticide awareness through ToT. The ToT training had done each district, and the pilot village for the practicing of the trainees were organized at least 1-2 villages per district. The awareness was taken place along with the OA and GAP promotion in Paek target area in XK. Then the awareness was organized in Oudomxay and Phongsaly with CCL and CARE partnership. From the lesson learn in XK needed more efficient organizing on the awareness of pesticide. Therefore, in order have systematic action and monitoring is needed to set “village committee for pesticide control’‘ in 30 and 5 villages in Oudomxay and Phonsaly province, respectively. In the committee (these committee were set lasted 3 years) structure has a leader who is not a village chief (could be the deputy or others-see link documents bellow), and the monitoring systems were taken place within the village by using the record sheet (developed by SAEDA), and then the SAEDA and the partnership also organize workshop which invited all committees from Oudomxay and Phongsaly (link documents bellow) to share the committee activities result and discussion on the next steps for improvement. The first WS was organized in August 2017 (action started 3 year ago), results from WS found that all chemical pesticide users understand and tend to have well practice in personal protection. But the environment is not protective, because they still used the warning pesticide, use in-correct dose (over dose), and the committees require higher position to follow and maintain the mandate on pesticide control (only village level is not strong enough), like DAFO level, that why in December 2017, SAEDA and partnerships will discuss on how to set the “District Committee for Pesticide Control”, which will be take the pilot project in Ngod Ou district, Phongsaly province.

- Awareness on environmental safeguard & Chemical pesticide risk reduction:
- DAFO staffs are not access to the agreement, decree and regulation document on the role of the DAFO in pesticide control in Laos at the district level. (few information/documents availability in the district level). Consequently, DAFO still allow the trader importing the chemical pesticide and allow using with out control.
- Retailer shops always have several goods including food and pesticide, which is worst practices and danger for both seller and buyer. This situation must guide and be controlled by DAFO, while is make most difficulty for the project activities.

In the provincial or district level where has sharing border with China, Thailand do not have any facilities to test or check the pesticide at the border, while the checking point system is also loosing particularly at the traditional checkpoint (e.g. at Lao border the first checking authorities are 1st entrance for tax, 2nd industry and commerce, and 3rd DAFO), the truck only had checked at the first point and then entrance directly to Laos.

From monitoring action, found that most farmers said that if not allow them to used chemical pesticide what will they for the farming activities?. Pesticide use is the way that can done with limitation labors, produce in large area and make more economic especially in Oudomsay and Luangnamtha province (Sing district).

Awareness on environmental safeguard & Chemical pesticide risk reduction:
Supporting on materials and printing of documents related to the DAFO role to have better access to the information and better understand their role in the awareness and the control of pesticide at the district and village level.
Strengthen the existing rhe ‘village committee for pesticide control’ focusing on both personal and environmental protection, and pilot the on ‘district committee for pesticide control’ in term of organization management, system of action in controlling pesticides and monitoring.

Recommendations: Government should set AE in one province or one district as a AE model to make a clear concept and practices on AE for all technicians in Laos.

• Mr SONEPHET
• Mr Bounlap PATHILATH
• Mr Chaikeo BOUNPHAENPHAN