Agriculture is a key factor driving economic growth and poverty reduction in Laos.

Laos joins int’l efforts to shape future of food security and reform regional food systems

A high-level delegation from Laos will attend a major international conference to be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, during February 19-22 as part of multilateral efforts to reform agri-food systems across the Asia-Pacific region.
The move comes after years of pandemic, climate emergencies and volatile markets and economies affected millions of producers and consumers, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The state of food and agriculture in the region, transformation of agri-food systems and solutions particularly for smallholders and family farmers will be discussed at the conference.
The Lao delegation will be led by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Mr Thongphat Vongmany, and the FAO Representation in Lao is providing technical support to the team.
“This country’s high-level participation in this important conference will help guide FAO’s work here in Lao PDR and right across the Asia and Pacific region, as all FAO member nations share a common goal of achieving the SDGs by 2030, particularly those relating to hunger, poverty and inequality,” the FAO Representative to Laos, Kyung-Mee Kim, said.
Most of the issues to be discussed are of vital interest to the government of Laos, according to the FAO.
The ministerial roundtable discussions at the conference, which will focus on issues such as securing future food and nutrition, lessons learned from the recent convergent crises, investment and financing for poverty reduction and modernisation, and lessons learned in saving water and food and reducing loss and waste, all have a common interest across the region. 
Building resilience will also be a key topic. The huge region’s agri-food systems are undergoing a transition, and a number of thematic areas of the special ministerial event will focus on promoting modernisation and digitisation for smallholders in livestock and aquaculture.
In Laos, the value of production in agriculture and forestry grew by 3.4 per cent in 2023, accounting for 21.4 percent of gross domestic product.
Recognising the vital role that agriculture plays in promoting economic development and combating food insecurity, the Lao government is spearheading a comprehensive transformation of its agri-food system with the focus on four main areas: ensuring safe and nutritious food for all, boosting nature-positive food production at sufficient scales, advancing equitable livelihoods and value distribution, and building resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stresses.
According to the most recent Asia and Pacific Regional Overview on Food Security and Nutrition, which was published in December 2023, nearly 371 million people in this region are undernourished. Nearly 24 percent of the population suffers from moderate or severe food insecurity, with women tending to be more food insecure than men.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update February 6, 2024)