National Agricultural Innovation System Assessment in Lao PDR. Consolidated report

In Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR), agricultural innovation has the potential to improve livelihoods of farmers and rural people, improve food and nutrition security, and allow for sustainable management of natural resources. In order to enable innovation, a  well-functioning national Agriculture Innovation System (AIS) should encourage better coordination among the different stakeholders, including national organizations and the private sector. The present assessment report provides a comprehensive understanding of the current status of the national AIS in Lao PDR and identifies the main entry points for strengthening capacity of key organizations and stakeholders of the national AIS. A comprehensive methodology was used to analyze the AIS functions, structures, enabling environment, and system capacities.  In addition, two case studies - Thong Mang Agricultural Cooperative (TMAC) and the Lao Farmer Network (LFN) were used to understand innovation processes in the Lao agriculture sector and provided a framework to explore partnerships and processes among the government, development partners, private sector actors, farmers and other operators in the agricultural sector. The recommendations based on the assessment results include: (1) making more effort to encourage and support agriculture innovation to make progress in a competitive environment; (2) increasing investment or funding in research and extension to underpin agricultural innovation; (3) enhancing effective management and use of water as well as helping farmers access water for production, particularly for organic vegetables; (4) developing necessary and related capacity with a focus on soft skills to unleash innovations.