Wild Foods and Nutrition: Iron
Wild plants like moringa, water spinach, bamboo shoots, and wild mushrooms, as well as animals like snails, crickets, and small fish, provide iron that helps keep your blood and body healthy. In the next pages, you will find a selection of wild food species and a few recipes showing how you can prepare them.
Wild Foods and Nutrition: Vitamin A
Wild food species also provide vitamin A. Wild plants like yanang, climbing wattle, balsam apples, spiny amaranth, and Asiatic pennywort are rich in beta carotene, which the body can convert to Vitamin A. Eating these traditional foods helps families stay healthy. In the next pages, you will find a selection of wild food species and […]
Bounchanh Mekaloun
Bounchanh Mekaloun, Deputy Head of the Forest Research Center at the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI), says that forests are far more than landscapes: they are living sources of food, health, and opportunity. After graduating from the Faculty of Forestry in Vietnam, he returned to Laos equipped not only with academic knowledge but […]
From agrobiodiversity to agroecology, Manivanh Aliyavong’s work has been shaped by a long-term commitment to sustainable food systems in Laos and Southeast Asia.
Currently serving as the Regional Small Grants Manager at ALiSEA (Agroecology Learning Alliance in Southeast Asia), Manivanh supports local and regional actors who are driving agroecological change on the ground. Her role connects grassroots initiatives with regional learning, ensuring that practical experience feeds into shared knowledge and collective action. Her journey began in 2015 with […]
Keooudone Souvannakhoummane
Keooudone Souvannakhoummane is a PhD student, lecturer, and plant taxonomist at the National University of Laos (NUoL). He is also a member of the advisory board of the PhaKhaoLao platform. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in biology from NUoL and worked at the Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden from 2010 to 2015. Between 2015 and […]
Chanthavone Phomphakdy
Chanthavone Phomphakdy is a PhD researcher at the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), University of Bern, where he pursues a doctorate in Geography and sustainable development. Through his work with the Land for Life in Laos (LFL) project, he supports sustainable land governance by producing scientific evidence that can strengthen real-world decision-making. At the […]
Association to Support the Development of Peasant Societies (ASDSP)
The Association to Support the Development of Peasant Societies (ASDSP) was founded in 1988 with the mission of promoting smart and sustainable agricultural practices among rural farmers. Its focus is on encouraging local innovation, improving productivity, and supporting bio-composting using locally available resources. After a period of suspension due to limited market access, ASDSP was […]
Lao Sesame Oil
Lao Sesame Oil is produced from locally grown sesame seeds using a cold-pressing method and contains no chemical preservatives or added colors. Viengsavath Vilaythong, who is passionate about health, has observed a growing trend among Lao consumers toward healthier food choices. However, options for nutritious products, particularly oils, are limited. While olive oil is widely […]
Panyanivej farm
Panyanivej farm, located in Ban Samkhet, Sikhottabong , Vientiane, Laos, began its activities in 2008 and was officially registered as an agriculture company in 2016. The farm focuses on organic cultivation, retail and wholesale sales, with an emphasis on kitchen garden vegetables, rice, and oyster mushrooms. The farm also offers learning programs on agriculture and […]
Dr. Somphouthone Phimmachak
A researcher on the diversity and conservation of in Laos, Dr Somphouthone was already interested in farming as a child. This led her to study agriculture at the National University of Laos (NUoL), but she soon found out that she was more attracted by animals than plants. Thus, she graduated in 2002 with a specialization […]
