Maximizing benefits from agricultural exports for Lao smallholder farmers

Policy briefs are an effective tool to communicate policy messages using evidence. Thus, the Department of Agriculture Extension and Cooperatives (DAEC) and the Department of Planning and Cooperation (DOPC) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) in Lao PDR organized a multi-stakeholder policy dialogue process with support from FAO’s TAP-AIS project to spur discussion and gather evidence for this policy brief. Stakeholders involved in the policy dialogue process included representatives from the private sector, farmers organizations, academia, NGOs and the government. In a series of policy dialogue events and technical discussions from June to September 2022, involved stakeholders prioritized and discussed the key issues and recommendations to increase benefits from agricultural export markets for smallholder farmers in Lao PDR. This brief is intended for stakeholders in Lao PDR and other individuals and organizations interested in improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers through agricultural exports.