Lao People's Democratic Republic

Almost one-fifth of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic’s population is undernourished, and some Lao children are not properly nourished: 40 percent are underweight and 42 percent suffer from stunted growth due to lack of proper nutrition. Despite having almost doubled its cereals production and tripled their meat production in the last 25 years, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic still remains in a state of food insecurity.

FAO's main in-country programmes

Special Programme for Food Security
The Special Programme on Food Security (SPFS) in the country is operational since 2001 including a five-year project funded by Japan. The programme initially focused on rain fed rice production and agricultural diversification in upland food insecure areas on six sites of four provinces in the northern and middle parts of the country (i.e. Provinces of Luang Namtha, Oudomxay, Vientiane and Bolikhamxay). In 2005 it expanded to the southern part of the country (Champasack Province).

The SPFS’s field activities included livestock, agronomy, forestry, irrigation and nutrition (i.e. poultry and swine raising, rain fed and irrigated rice cultivation, various vegetable and fruit trees plantation, tree nurseries and fast-growing tree plantation, small-scale irrigation construction and water management and food preserve and nutritional food processing) and the implementation of a Farmer Group Development Plan.

National Programme for Food Security (NPFS)
The department of planning of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is currently finalizing their NPFS document with the support of FAO. The draft document includes food security profiles of the 20 priority districts with draft district action plans awaiting verification and translation. In the meantime, these profiles are being used as the information base for food security related development activities.

Regional Programme for Food Security (RPFS)
The country is a member of a regional economic organization ASEAN - Association of Southeast Asian Nations (http://www.aseansec.org/).

Emergency Prevention System for Transboundary Animals and Plant Pests and Diseases (EMPRES) Animal Health Component

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)/H5N1 was first officially reported in January 2004 and then affected the country intermittently. In March 2008, a minor epizootic occurred in a province bordering China after a period of ten months without recorded cases. Two cases of human deaths have been reported since 2004. The country received strong support from FAO at the early stage of the disease, through the implementation of eight regional/international projects and two national projects. FAO continues its support through two regional and one national project.

The country is also a benefiting country of a new regional project on Novel Influenza A/H1N1 aiming at generating information and assisting in strengthening field surveillance and laboratory systems to ensure detection and diagnosis of the influenza A H1N1 viruses in Southeast Asian countries.

Other major animal diseases – notably Foot-and-Mouth Disease – affect the country. FAO will address this problem through the European Commission Regional Cooperation Programme on Highly Pathogenic and Emerging Diseases in Asia, which will take place within the Global Framework for the Progressive Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases for Asia framework.

Emergency and Rehabilitation
In August 2008, tropical storm Kammuri brought heavy rains and rising waters to the Mekong Basin, causing major damages to rice producing areas. The joint appeal for flood recovery and rehabilitation in the country was launched on 19 September to support government efforts in responding to the most immediate humanitarian and early recovery needs.

In response to the appeal, FAO mobilized US$1 million to support the rehabilitation of rice, vegetable and aquaculture production in affected areas. FAO, the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) provided funds for this activity.

In December 2008, 2 278 families received 32.22 tonnes of rice seeds and 200 tonnes of fertilizers, while 1 457 families benefited from an OCHA-funded training exercise on improved rice cultivation practices. In June 2009, 286.3 tons of improved rice seeds were distributed to an additional 6 137 flood-affected families, while 11 744 flood-affected families are expected to benefit from a training exercise on improved farming practices (rice, cash crop and kitchen gardening) in the coming months.

Moreover, FAO in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is implementing a US$255 480 project funded by the Swedish International Development Agency to rehabilitate the aquaculture sector in ten flood-affected districts. Following the completion of a three-day training session on enhanced aquaculture practices, 326 farmers from 53 villages will receive 2 million fingerlings to restock the ponds devastated by the 2008 floods.

The HPAI H5N1 remains a major threat to animal and public health in the country. The United Nations Resident Coordinator, FAO, the United Nation’s Children’s Fund and World Health Organization are currently providing ongoing technical support to the National Emerging Infectious Disease Coordination Office. FAO is in phase two of a US$1 285 000 project to provide immediate technical assistance to consolidate and expand emergency preparedness to prevent, detect and combat Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Lao through gradually building existing capacities to respond to outbreaks.

National Medium Term Priority Frame Work (NMTPF)
NMTPF (2007-2011) has been completed and endorsed by the Government in 2008. It is currently under implementation.

UN Coordination activities
The HPAI H5N1 remains a major threat to the animal and public health in the country. The UNRC, FAO, UNICEF and WHO provide ongoing technical support to National Emerging Infectious Disease Coordination Office.

Last updated: 11 July 2011