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Independent Magazine - issue 12

Food and nutrition security targets fully achieved in Laos

Over the past thirteen years, IFAD-supported projects in Laos have reached out to a remarkable number of poor villages and households. The vast majority of these projects were effective in their outreach to upland and poorer districts. Overachievements were attained in the areas of smallholder resilience, and food security and nutrition security. Dr Indran A. Naidoo, Director of the Independent Office of Evaluation of IFAD (IOE) touched upon these findings during the Laos Country Strategy and Programme Evaluation (CSPE) final national workshop, on 6 May 2025.

“The country strategy and programme was successful in contributing to achieving government’s strategic priorities, by addressing fragility triggers in rural areas, such as: sustainable land and natural resources management; support services and farming systems; resilience, food security and nutrition; access to markets and value chains; and rural finance”, explained Dr Naidoo.

Co-organized by the Government of Laos and IOE, in collaboration with IFAD’s Asia and the Pacific Division, the on-line virtual workshop brought together a wealth of high-level attendants, including Sifong Oumavong, Deputy Director General, External Finance Department, Ministry of Finance of Laos. Over 50 participants joined the event, on-line and in-person, representing the Government of Laos, development partners, civil society organizations, private sector partners, and IFAD senior management and staff.

“By improving nutrition, building resilience to climate change and developing propoor value chains, IFAD has taken considerable steps to transform the smallholder agriculture sector. IFAD’s country strategic opportunities programmes (COSOPs) were developed based on national policies and national development priorities”, said Ms. Oumavong.

This CSPE is the first country-level evaluation conducted in Lao PDR. The evaluation period, 2011-2023, covers the implementation of nine projects, with a total IFAD financing of US$118.1 million since 2011. It will inform the new COSOP for 2026-30, to be prepared in 2025.

During the workshop, participants discussed the main findings, recommendations and issues emerging from the CSPE. The meeting also provided a platform to focus on the opportunities and challenges of the partnership between IFAD and the Government in the near future, and discussed strategic priorities for IFAD’s upcoming programme. Specific thematic issues addressed included climate resilience and natural resource management, partnerships and co-financing modalities, and future support to farmer groups.

Presenting the findings of the CSPE report, Paolo Silveri, IOE Chief of Section, and Nick Bourguignon, Temporary Professional Officer, explained that all projects invested in small irrigation schemes, with improvements up to 30 per cent above target. Sustainable land management practices were introduced at group and landscape level, and community-driven nutrition interventions were successfully implemented, with the inclusion of school garden activities and nutrition groups.

Other positive outcomes discussed during the workshop included that the portfolio has gone from gender mainstreaming to gradually introducing more gender-transformative approaches, improving the voice and representation of women. Moreover, IFAD projects have been successful in reaching out to an increasing number, and proportion, of women. A noteworthy achievement was the enhancement of water infrastructure development, which allowed women to save labour.

“Through focused support to remote upland communities and the introduction of gender-transformative approaches, IFAD’s projects have contributed to enhancing the voice and participation of women in farmer groups and value chain activities, laying the groundwork for more inclusive rural economies”, noted Reehana Raza, Regional Director, Asia and Pacific Division, IFAD.

On the downside, post-project sustainability was a weak point throughout the portfolio, both in terms of steps taken to improve it over time and of actual continuation of activities. This was the main challenge in the southern region, where the unsustainability of small infrastructure design and approaches to operations and maintenance remain an unresolved issue. Building sustainable farmer groups and their access to value chains will require more than initial grants to groups and enterprises.

Another issue of concern is that pressure on natural resources through forest clearing, and increased risks from inflation and the food price crisis in project villages, were seen throughout the CSPE. The portfolio remained short of a comprehensive approach to small-scale infrastructure and climate resilience. While IFAD moved to supporting staple crop value chains, this was in contradiction with sound natural resource management, as it encouraged the expansion of annual crops on sloped land. Small-scale integrated improvements of home gardens and small livestock were a relevant but insufficient approach to climate resilience.

Looking ahead, Ambrosio Barros, IFAD Country Director for Lao PDR and Head of IFAD Mekong Multi-Country Office, highlighted that IFAD will deepen support for inclusive, well-governed cooperatives that are truly connected to markets and services. IFAD may also upscale its support to youth.

In this context, it is recommended that IFAD adopt a sustainable approach to ensure continued in-country presence and engagement, take a strategic decision regarding co-financing partnerships, considering both coherence and potential trade-offs, and redefine its approach to enhance the sustainability of farmer groups and make them more inclusive. In addition, the upcoming COSOP should specify the approach to climate resilience, natural resource management and the needs of those with limited land access.

In Laos, although national poverty has declined steadily, almost one in five people still live below the poverty line. Rural groups in remote, mountainous areas in the north and east are particularly affected. While agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, about half of households are subsistence farmers. They face a range of constraints.

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