Laos, partners launch agriculture innovation systems

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the EU Delegation and the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI) last week launched a new project to boost food security and nutrition.
The project on Developing Capacities in Agriculture Innovation Systems of Scaling up a Tropical Agriculture Platform Framework (TAP AIS) also aims to support agricultural innovation to increase effectiveness, competitiveness and resilience to shocks.

Besides contributing to food security, it is aimed at environmental sustainability, economic development and sustainable natural resource management.
The TAP-AIS, launched in Vientiane on November 20, is a global project that is part of the larger European Union Initiative “Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture (DeSIRA): Towards climate-relevant agricultural and knowledge innovation system”.
In Laos, the project will contribute to promoting climate-relevant, productive and sustainable transformation of agriculture and food systems by developing capacities to innovate at the national level, said the FAO’s country representative, Mr Nasar Hayat.
This includes new ways of collaborating on better organising production and access to new markets, good agricultural practices, using new seeds or new breeds to produce more with less pesticides and with better quality, and helping farmers out of poverty and ensuring the world achieves food and nutrition security.
The project includes a plan to improve policies and their implementation, and institutional mechanisms that enable farmers to innovate and support profitable, climate smart, socially inclusive and environmentally sound agricultural innovation systems that meet the demand of farmers and consumers.
The European Union delegation’s Programme Manager, Mr Inpone Senekhamty, also spoke at the event chaired by the NAFRI Deputy Director, Dr Chanhsamone Phongoudom, and said the project will support the implementation of the Tropical Agriculture Platform Action Plan for 2018-21.
The TAP-AIS project in Laos also focuses on the delivery of ways to develop and strengthen the three dimensions of capacities for innovation – at the individual, organisational and enabling environment levels – and contributes to output.
The project is being implemented at the global, regional and country levels in nine countries, including three in Asia (Cambodia, Laos and Pakistan), five in Africa (Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Malawi, Rwanda and Senegal), and one in Latin America (Colombia) from August 2019 to July 2024.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update November 23, 2020)