FAO’s TAP-AIS Project in Lao PDR organized its final workshop on 22 September 2022 in Vientiane to mark the completion of the main activities of the project. More than 40 participants from the key departments of the Ministry of Agriculture (MAF), Ministry of Communication and Technology (MOCT), Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC), academia, the Lao Farmer Network (LFN), private sector actors, international development partners and more participated in the workshop.

The workshop provided opportunities to present the results and key achievements of the project with the major stakeholders in the agricultural innovation system (AIS). Organizations involved in the project also shared their experiences and lessons learned from the effective implementation of the project through capacity development interventions. Overall, the two-year project strengthened the capacities of 155 (65 women) core beneficiaries, directly benefitted around 2000 individuals in total (including those who attended at least one TAP-AIS training, workshop or event) and a further estimated 2800 beneficiaries were supported indirectly by the project.

The main achievements presented by project partners during the workshop include:

1.     Making extension and advisory services more demand-driven and responsive to farmers’ needs with the Department of Extension and Agriculture Cooperatives (DAEC);

2.     Supporting smallholder farmers with agribusiness and market information skills through the participatory development of an agribusiness curriculum by the Northern Agriculture and Forestry College in close collaboration with the Lao Farmer Network;

3.     Making research more demand driven and market oriented with the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI); and

4.     Strengthening the capacity to influence the policy process through policy dialogue and foster a conducive environment for innovation with the DAEC and the Department of Planning and Cooperation (DOPC).

The final workshop was chaired by the Director General of NAFRI, MAF, and co-chaired by Mr. Vincent Vire, Chargé d’ Affaires a.i. Delegation of the European Union and FAO Representative to Lao PDR. The closing event was also virtually attended by Dr. Delgermaa Chunluunbataar and with closing remarks by Dr. Selvaraju Ramasamy, Senior Agriculture Research Officer, OIN.