Agro-Forestry Development Consultant (AFDC)

Agro-Forestry Development Consultant (AFDC)

Agroforestry Development Consultant (AFDC), originally the Association for Improving the Living Standards of Multi-ethnic People Adapted to Climate Change (or AIMA), was established in 2009 after a protracted wait for the Ministry of Home Affairs to grant us permanent authorization registration (MOHA). We have a number of restrictions regarding funding and field execution because MOHA only gives us official temporary authority. The AIMA committee boards unanimously decided to change the association’s status to that of a social enterprise during the year-end workshop. AFDC wishes to support the poorest community in Lao PDR, which was founded by local Lao people who love and care for their country and want to contribute and devote their energy to helping to improve the livelihoods of multi-ethnic people who live in poverty, particularly poor women, by adding more value to community agroforestry products and allowing them to adapt to climate change. AFDC employs highly skilled technical personnel with extensive field experience and consulting work with international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), non-profit associations, government agencies, and community-based organizations. Almost all of AFDC’s technical staff are former Dutch Development Organization (SNV) advisors, associate advisors, and consultants for prominent Laos-based NGOs. The AFC has six regular staff, 45 associate advisers, and around 15 members from the public sector, commercial industry, and civil society. AFDC believes in and practices good governance, adhering to both operational and financial rules and maintaining a zero-tolerance policy. VISION Lao human capital develops to its full capacity and keeps on growing. MISSION The AFDC aspires to fulfill three key roles: (1) Multi-ethnic people’s capacity to adjust their production systems and livelihoods to climate change, and specifically to be more climate resilient; (2) Local capacity building (LCB) (3) Assistance in enhancing the capability of local NPAs and local governments MAIN ACTIVITIES (1) Develop environmentally-friendly farming training curriculums. (2) Work and promote value chain analysis and development approach for sustainability. (3) Develop and promote good governance, gender inclusiveness and gender equity. (4) Build capacity of local and national government and other stakeholders concerning agro-forestry, climate change and livelihood improvement. (5) Develop NTFP market chains and value chain systems. (6) Develop market-based information system (MIS) for agro-forestry products. (7) Policy-advocacy via information-sharing, education, training and communication tools. (8) Develop and promote small sustainable agro-forestry businesses. (9) Develop and promote good agro-forestry practices. (10) Support multi-ethnic people to adapt to climate change for sustainable use of NTFPs and other natural resources. (11) Disseminate climate change and environment-related information to both communities that are vulnerable to climate change and those who contribute to the worsening of climate change. (12) Promote pro-poor income-generation activities for people who are dependent on agroforestry for their livelihoods. (13) Support government and international organization initiatives to mitigate climate change. (14) Provide research and development service delivery on good governance, NTFPs management, agroforest, gender development and mainstreaming, and livelihood improvement activities. OBJECTVIES • Promoting and supporting multi-ethnic people adapted to climate change • Promoting people sustainable using natural resources • Contribution to improve livelihood of pro-poor people and rural women empowerment. • Promote income generation for the pro-poor who depend on agroforestry PRIMARY BENEFICARIES Multi-ethnic people who is depending on natural resource and especially women and children in the mountainous areas.