March 22, 2024
Lao agrobiodiversity has the potential of improving local economy through enhancing the livelihood of hundred of upland families, and at the same time creating an international reputation for Lao unique products.
Sixteen lao agrobiodiversity products with high potential for food security and income generation
The palm fruit Mak Tao is co scattered natural stands in humid forests from different parts of the country where it is locally important for income in generation. The demand is high, but the supply is declining due to loss of habitats and over-harvesting. Thailand is a major importer. Production can virtually not be expanded through domestication/cultivation in other regions because it takes 13-16 years for a tree to bear fruits. Present efforts should concentrate on sustainable harvesting of the existing stands by local communities, combined with appropriate regulations on trade quotas. More fruit processing within Lao PDR should also be encouraged.
Lao PDR has a huge number of traditional medicinal plants, including some of international interest, which can be used against diseases such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, but several are under threat from unsustainable exploitation and loss of natural habitats. More scientific and
community-oriented management of medicinal plant resources should be supported. Production and export statistics should be improved. Illegal exploitation and trade of endangered species should be reduced by better border controls and law enforcement. Traditional knowledge on medicinal plants should be protected as intellectual property rights of Lao traditional healers. Sustainable cultivation for export should be encouraged.
Growing fish in ponds and stocking rice fields with fish has been a long tradition in Lao PDR, particularly in Huaphan, Xiengkhouang and other Northern provinces. It is very easy to stimulate interest in fish production among rural households nationwide. Since more than 70% of rural households undertake some fishing, their interest in increasing fish production is understandable.
A sustainable management and development of river fish resources should be recognized by the government in its development plans, as it is a key component in improving food security for many rural people, as well as in providing them with additional income and occupation opportunities. River dams on Mekong tributaries will modify the aquatic resources in a drastic way, including fish populations in many fish conservation zones
There is a great potential for further developing beekeeping activities in Lao PDR, also because the honey produced from wild forest hives is unsustainable. To minimize risks, Lao PDR should favor the development of beekeeping based on the indigenous species Apis cerana (Asian honeybee) as opposed to Apis mellifera (European honeybee). The Quality standards of the honey should be improved by using better techniques for production, extraction and conditioning. Establishment of beekeeping groups should be supported. All this will help Lao farmers to diversify their activities, food sources and incomes, and strengthen their farming systems, while enhancing agrobiodiversity
Wild mushrooms are essential parts of the agro-ecological systems with diverse functions including decomposition of living and dead materials, nutrient cycling, symbiotic relations with other organisms and stimulation of growth in a wide range of organisms. Several are used for food and for medicine, some also generate significant incomes for poor farmers who collect and sell them. However, due to deforestation, unsustainable exploitation and climate change, the Lao fungal diversity is changing and some species are increasingly under threat, whereas others may become more frequent, including some poisonous species. In general, there is a need for more scientific research on the wild mushrooms of Lao PDR (taxonomy, geographical distribution, marketing studies, etc.) in order to complement the present indigenous knowledge.
Crispy river weed production generates important household income, but the weed faces an uncertain future because of the destruction of its natural habitat due to human activities. This threat can only be reduced through concerted efforts in planning and implementing the national socio-economic development of the country while minimizing the negative impacts on agrobiodiversity. The “Khai pean” production is likely to decrease as hydropower development increases on the rivers where it grows.
Broom grass is a product generally found throughout the upland areas of the country where it is relatively common on degraded land and fallows. It is a source of income for poor farmers and also a source of animal feed. Large quantities of unprocessed broom grass are exported. Broom grass harvesting and drying occupy and provide income to many farmer families, however the added value is mostly abroad. Efforts should be made to encourage more processing in Lao PDR, based on further studies of the broom grass value chain. Broom grass is one of the few agrobiodiversity products that are not under threat from over-exploitation.
During the past thirty years, wild rattan resources have been declining in Lao PDR due to an export-driven over-exploitation and deforestation. With more than 31 rattan species already discovered during the last two decades, Lao PDR has an impressive rattan diversity that is used for producing canes and edible shoots. However, several species are endangered. More and more rattan is being cultivated to produce edible shoots, and this should be further encouraged. The sustainable rattan harvesting and production project supported by IKEA and SDC through WWF during the last decade provide a good model of a rattan supply chain from sustainable rattan forest management by using FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification model until selling the product. This model can be adapted and replicated elsewhere.
During the past decades, the cultivated medicinal cardamom introduced from China has overtaken the importance of the native wild cardamom, following higher international demands. The Lao cardamom is produced for export and is processed outside Lao PDR. It generates more and more income for farmers, and it is easy to spread. However, widespread cultivation of cardamom decreases forest biodiversity (according to Chinese studies). The status of wild cardamom needs to be monitored because of the reduction of natural forests resulting in loss of appropriate habitat. Since cardamom is cultivated in communal forests, the land ownership for cardamom production should be recognized at community level and not at household level
Until recent years, low price and competition with other forest products were considered the main causes for the overall decline of the Lao benzoin production. Over the past decades, production has been increasing again through rehabilitation of village benzoin forests, with the help of the private sector. Benzoin production is geographically concentrated in three Northern provinces (Huaphan, Phongsaly and Luang Prabang). The benzoin value chain is complex, and its sustainability partially relies on a combination of long-term business and social interventions from different stakeholders.
Lao PDR can further develop a small, but geographically broad, organic tea industry based primarily upon ancient and wild tea types. Wild tea forests are under threat; they must be inventoried and sustainably managed. More research and specialized training is also required. Lao PDR should not seek to compete in global low-value bulk tea markets, but instead focus on niche tea products.
From a geographical point of view, and according to the national coffee strategy, the development of eco-friendly coffee cultivation in the northern region should be considered, but on a more “opportunistic” basis, conditioned by the existence of marketing opportunities or by the private sector. More studies on markets and on technical approaches limiting the biodiversity losses in the new area where coffee is being grown are needed to avoid economic and environmental risks.
Native Chickens and Pigs
Native chickens and pigs are widespread in rural Lao PDR. They represent both a source of food and income and are used for rituals. Women are often more involved in small livestock activities. The number of raisers and scale of production are declining, partly due to competition with exotic breeds and changes in rural villages. But native breeds are still in high demand, and management (feed, health & techniques) and policy environment (regulations) should be improved.
Bamboo is an important biodiversity resource of Lao PDR. It plays a key role in the social and economic life of rural communities, contributing to cash income, food security and livelihood. It also plays a vital environmental role on soils through carbon sequestration. The ongoing expansion of the global bamboo industry offers an opportunity to fully develop a Lao bamboo industry. The Huaphan bamboo development strategy, developed and implemented by villagers, government and private sector, should serve as a model for replication and adaptation in other regions of Lao PDR, with three key components: sustainable resource management, bamboo business development and favorable bamboo policies to promote the development and growth of the bamboo sector. The Bokeo bamboo project should also be considered as a model for lessons learned on supply efficiency.
Little Chicken Rice (Khao Kai Noi)
The wet-season traditional glutinous Khao Kai Noi variety is an important representative of the paddy rice diversity in the northern Lao uplands. It is highly demanded – regionally-as a source of food. It is also a source of income. It is linked to traditions, culture and tourism. It is mostly consumed within Lao PDR and partially exported. However, its potential for further expansion outside Xieng Khouang and Huaphan provinces is limited by the lack of suitable agro-ecological conditions. And thus, development efforts should be focused on yield and especially quality, cultivars and marketing aspects, with the aim to increase net returns and income to producers.
