VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/Asia News Network): The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Lao government last week signed an agreement on a nutrition-sensitive agriculture project to address food insecurity and malnutrition among the rural poor.
The agreement was signed in Rome, Italy, by Deputy Minister of Finance Phouthanouphet Xaysombath, representing the Lao government, and IFAD Country Director to Laos, Ambrosio Barros.
The project will focus on vulnerable groups such as women, young people, and people with disabilities.
The Agriculture for Nutrition Phase II project builds on the success and lessons learned from the first phase, which took place from 2016 to 2022.
According to IFAD, the second phase is a US$48.2 million project, with IFAD contributing US$13.2 million over seven years from 2023–2029.
The Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme is providing US$20 million through a grant, while the Lao government will provide US$4.8 million. The private sector is expected to contribute US$1.5 million and project participants will provide US$2.1 million.
The first phase of the project showed that sustainable climate-resilient agriculture practices, complemented by building strong community-based organisations that work for their members, could lead to higher incomes and better nutrition for rural families.
The project will also support the sustainable and inclusive recovery of Laos’ agriculture and food systems after the Covid-19 pandemic.
“More than 60 per cent of people in Laos live in rural areas,” Barros said.
“They depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. But most farmers are small-scale producers practising subsistence, family-focused agriculture, and have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Hence the second phase of the project will focus on the role of small-scale farmers in improving household nutrition and food security through sustainable agriculture.”
Laos has seen significant economic growth over the last two decades, but the pandemic and climate shocks have impacted efforts to improve living conditions.
This has taken a serious toll on rural families, with many struggling to meet household food requirements, making malnutrition a critical issue.
The first phase of the project was financed by the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme and managed by IFAD (in collaboration with the Department of Planning and Cooperation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, as well as the World Food Programme).
By promoting small and medium-scale agricultural development, including through home gardens, the project has led to better nutrition, with a decline in stunting and higher incomes reported across project areas.
The second phase of the project will scale up these activities in the provinces of Oudomxay, Phongsaly and Xieng Khuang and in the southern provinces of Saravan, Xekong and Attapeu, and will reach 168,000 people across 28,000 households.
It will establish community-driven agricultural and natural resource-based nutrition interventions and will improve market access and help create an enabling environment for more and better partnerships.
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