Title of document: Association for Rural Mobilisation and Improvement (ARMI) Authors: ARMI Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: ARMI Year of publication: 2017 Geographic focus: Lao PDR Main issues / topics addressed (for example: About ARMI, Main Activities and Planning……) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: ARMI was founded by 15 former CIDSE staff in October 2006; registration application to LUSEA and approved in October 10th, 2006. In 2009, the Decree on association was established, and ARMI has received its official registration 511/MoHAinAugust 9th, 2012. Presentation for a brief overview “Association for Rural Mobilisation and Improvement (ARMI)”   Read More

Title of document: Overview of the Status of PGS in Lao PDR Authors: Thavisith Bounyasouk Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: DOA/MAF Year of publication: 2018 Geographic focus: Lao PDR Main issues / topics addressed (for example: Status of PGS groups; Type of produce certified with PGS; Existing capacity at national level…) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: The presentation for Regional experience sharing workshop “Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) to promote agroecology in the Mekong Region” 1st to 3rd October 2018, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR.   Read More

Title of document: Case study on Bamboo marketing in Lao PDR Authors: Latsamy Boupha, Phongxiong Wanneng, Bouakhet Sayasouk, and Bouavieng Souphanthong Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: ICRAF/NUOL Year of publication: 2006 Geographic focus: Laos Url original document: https://www.google.la/?gws_rd=cr&ei=oAE0WN6UDMfsvATvrKewDw#q=Case+study+on+Bamboo+marketing+in+Lao+PDR Summary: Bamboo is non timber forest product, which can found in the tropical and sub-tropical zones. It is fast growing and easy regeneration species. Bamboo is a desirable plant for sustainable management; it has important direct and indirect economic and environmental benefits such as providing shoot for food, culms for housing, furniture, handicraft products and soil and water conservation. Bamboo can play an important role in the reduction of wood consumption, environmental and forest protection, poverty alleviation and sustainable development of rural economy.   Read More

Title of document: Saffron coffee Authors: Derek Smith Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: saffron coffee Year of publication: 2018 Geographic focus: Lao PDR Main issues / topics addressed (for example: …) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: The presentation for Agroecology Futures Regional Forum, November 6-8, 2018, Siem Reap, Cambodia   Read More

Title of document: Stories From The Field - Women working toward a non-toxic environment Author:  Ilang Ilang Quijano et al. on behalf of Towards a Non-toxic Southeast Asia Date of publication: 2016 Geographical focus: Cambodge, China, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam Summary: The often unseen but disastrous consequences of chemical-intensive food and agricultural production are felt most by half of the world’s food producers and rural population: women. On the average, women make up about 43 percent of the agricultural labour force in developing countries, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Women are involved in all stages of food production—everything from seed collection, land preparation, fertilizer and pesticides application, weeding, harvesting and storage, food processing, and livestock rearing. In addition, they are also responsible for most household and child-rearing activities. This booklet contains a collection of stories of 25 women from five countries who are involved in an inspiring, ongoing campaign to eliminate use of chemical pesticides and promote agroecology in the Mekong Region. These women are part of the programme Towards a Non-toxic SouthEast Asia, a programme aiming to reduce health and environmental risks from chemicals by monitoring, regulating and managing agricultural, industrial and consumer chemicals. Partners in this initiative are the Swedish Chemicals Agency (KemI), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN AP) and The Field Alliance (TFA). The stories in this booklet highlight how women were influenced by the work of these dedicated organizations and how various activities and support resulted in mobilization of communities to start working for improved livelihoods, through reduction of pesticides use and shift to agro-ecology.   Read More

Title of document: Participatory Forest and Agriculture Land Use Planning, Allocation and Management (PFALUPAM) Authors: Michael Victor Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: TABI, NAFRI, DALaM Year of publication: 2018 Geographic focus: Lao PDR Main issues / topics addressed (for example: …) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: The presentation for Agroecology Futures Regional Forum, November 6-8, 2018, Siem Reap, Cambodia   Read More

Title of document: Indigenous agroforestry practices in two districts in the northern part of Lao PDR Authors: Houmchitsavath Sodarak; Chanhpeng Ditsaphon; Vienghad Thammavong; Nonggnao Ounthammasith; and Olle Forshed Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Northern Agriculture and Forestry Research Centre; Lao-Swedish Upland Agriculture and Forestry Research Programme Geographic focus: Laos School of agroecology: Agro-forestry Objective of the document: To find out and document more about indigenous agroforestry practices in northern Laos so that good ideas and practices could be shared to other farmers to increase their livelihood. Introduction: In the north of Lao PDR people live close to the nature and their main activity is growing rice. Shifting cultivation is the dominating practice and upland rice is the dominating crop on the sloping hills. Paddy field practices are also to some extent common if there is available land for that activity. Also other crops then rice is cultivated in the upland farming land, such as corn, Job’s tear and a wide range of vegetables. These crops are often integrated in the traditional rice shifting cultivation practice or grown more intensively close to rivers where the land is often more fertile. The shifting cultivation practice in Lao PDR has been widely described in literature; see e.g. Roder (2001) and Sodarak (1998), and today we know quite a lot of how it is practiced. Shifting cultivation could be seen as an agroforestry practice since it is, if carried out in a good way with long fallows, a combination of agriculture and forestry. Side by side with the shifting cultivation practice also other agroforestry practices has been carried out for decades. That could be just some few treatments in the natural forest to get a wanted product (see e.g. Ankarfjard 1998) or it could also be highly advanced systems where trees, animals and plants grow together so that they can make benefit of each other. These systems are not so widely described in literature, either internationally or nationally. The range these practices or systems hold is very little known by a wider audience than the actual farmers in the villages. To know more what the farmers traditionally practice and what techniques and plants etc that has been adopted from projects and outsiders are both important factors to understand when further developing the rural upland agricultural and forestry activities. This study which aims to find out more about ongoing agroforestry practices in two districts is hopefully a step on the track to find out more sustainable and acceptable practices for farmers in these areas.   Read More

Title of document: Session 1 Lessons from PROFIL and PRO Rice - Document in Lao language Geographic focus: Lao PDR School of agroecology: Organic Agriculture   Read More

Title of document: To till or not to till? The diffusion of conservation agriculture in Xieng Khouang province, Lao PDR Authors: Guillaume Lestrelin, Khamla Nanthavong, Etienne Jobard, Anousith Keophoxay, Pascal Lienhard, Chanxay Khambanseuang, and Jean-Christophe Castella Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: IRD UPV Montpellier; NAFRI; CIRAD; CIFOR Year of publication: 2010 Geographic focus: Laos School of agroecology: Conservation Agriculture Over the past decade, efforts have been made to promote conservation agriculture as an ecologically sound alternative to tillage-based agriculture in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR). This paper assesses some of the outcomes of a five-year research project aimed at developing sustainable no-till cropping and pasture systems and promoting their adoption by smallholders in Xieng Khouang province. Based on extensive household surveys in 20 villages, it highlights key environmental and socioeconomic factors influencing the adoption and diffusion of conservation agriculture. Finally, it provides policy recommendations to facilitate agricultural innovation and provide greater incentives for farmers to shift towards more sustainable farming practices.   Read More

Title of document: Managing our natural resources for a better life in the villages of Houaphanh Province: Six Briefs on Bamboo Forest Management and Value Chains Development Authors/editor: Gret, BNDA Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organization: Gret, BNDA Year of publication: 2020 Geographic focus: Lao PDR Main issues/ topics addressed (for example: …) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: Huaphan Province is diversity of natural bamboo forest. Recognizing this potential since 2009, GRET through its Bamboo and Rattan project with the Houaphanh government and its Bamboo Taskforce has been supporting the Huaphan Bamboo Sector Development Strategy 2011-2015 & 2016 -2020. 5 bamboo value chains being actively developed within the province and supported by the Bamboo and Rattan Project are 1) Handicraft Value Chain; 2) Mai Khuane Value Chain; 3) Khom (Bamboo Shoot) Value Chain; 4) Broom Grass Value Chain; and 5)Red Mushroom Value Chain... After the project has ended, the Bamboo and NTFPs Development Association (BNDA) will continue to support it. You can view BNDA activities via the Facebook page: “ສະມາຄົມພັດທະນາໄມ້ປ່ອງ&ເຄື່ອງປ່າຂອງດົງ/Bamboo & NTFP Development Association” or by email: [email protected]   Read More