Agricultural biodiversity in the Lao PDR

Lao PDR is a biodiversity mega-diverse country, and one of Vavilov’s “Centres of Origin” of domesticated plants. The people of Lao PDR make tremendous use of this biodiversity, particularly in the agriculture sector, which by far is the most important economic sector in the country. Over 80 percent of the labour force is employed within the agriculture sector, which is largely subsistence agriculture that is characterized by low inputs and low outputs. In Lao PDR, a wide-range of wild plants and animals contribute significantly to day-to-day basic nutrition of both rural and urban residents.

Agricultural biodiversity in Lao PDR is considered a crucial resource for food security, sustainable livelihoods and adequate nutrition. While these resources have benefited the country for centuries, better use, improved development and enhanced conservation of agricultural biodiversity are required to meet both current and future demands for food, to decrease chronic malnutrition, and to reduce rural poverty. Improving the contribution of agricultural biodiversity through enhancing knowledge and improving management capacity in the agriculture sector were identified as government priorities – and in December 2004, the Government of Lao PDR endorsed the National Agricultural Biodiversity Programme (NABP) as a policy document.

Lao PDR was selected as a priority country to receive support from the FAO/Netherlands Partnership Programme (FNPP) to implement activities that contribute towards the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biodiversity. It was selected because of its own important biodiversity resources, the need to achieve food security, and also by the fact that Lao PDR prepared and endorsed a National Agriculture Biodiversity Programme (NABP), indicating a commitment to conserving and sustainably managing agricultural biodiversity.

FAO, through the FNPP, assisted the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), through its National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI) and its research centres, in the implementation of nine priority activities selected from the NABP:

• Application of the new approach for monitoring the implementation of the Global Plan of Action (GPA) on the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA) in Lao PDR, preparation of the Country Report on the State of PGRFA in Lao PDR and development of a plant breeding strategy
• Awareness raising for policy makers regarding the value of the conservation and utilization of agricultural biodiversity for food security, nutrition and sustainable livelihoods
• Awareness raising for concerned governmental officers to enable them to have full understanding of the International Treaty on PGRFA
• Integrate agricultural biodiversity considerations into environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedures
• Conservation and management of pollinators for sustainable agriculture through an ecosystem approach
• Plant genetic resource access and utilization: understanding and contributing to sustainable livelihoods in Lao PDR
• Livestock component – improvement of productivity of indigenous goats
• Aquatic biodiversity and nutrition – improving awareness of the role of aquatic biodiversity from rice-based ecosystems in improved nutrition and livelihoods
• Enhancing food security through sustainable management plan for Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFPs)