Phaivanh Sixaiyavong (Tou Kood)

After years in the steel construction industry, Phaivanh Sixaiyavong (known as Tou Kood) shifted to agriculture when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted his business. Despite having no prior farming experience, he taught himself coconut cultivation through online research and hands-on experimentation. However, he soon faced challenges in marketing his raw produce. To add value to his […]

Mr. Khamphou Phanthaboun

Mr. Khamphou Phanthaboun began his journey in organic farming with no training. Like many farmers, he relied on traditional farming practices and learned through experience. In 2004-2005, with support from the Helvetas organic agriculture project, Mr. Khamphou established a organic garden at his home. Through hands-on learning and continuous practice, he developed skills in organic […]

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 […]

Khounkhao Sold Company Ltd.

Bouasanith (Nok), the owner of Khounkhao Sold Co., Ltd, founded the company in 2023 with a clear mission: reduce agricultural waste by optimizing how local resources are used. As an importer and exporter of food products, the company goes beyond traditional trade by transforming bananas—an abundant fruit in the region—into a wide range of high-value, […]

Mimi Phommaly

Kham Phet Garden was established in 2000 by her father and covers a total land area of 18 hectares. He was inspired after visiting Thailand and seeing the wide variety of fruits available there. At that time, Laos imported a large number of fruits from Thailand, which motivated him to introduce and plant different fruit […]

Prof. Soulivanh Lanorsavanh

Associate Professor Soulivanh Lanorsavanh is a lecturer and the Deputy Head of the Department of Biology at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, National University of Laos (NUoL). He has dedicated his academic career to the study of plant morphology and the vascular flora of Lao PDR. His work is driven by a deep passion for […]

Cash crops in the uplands: the cardamom experienc

Farmers are often blamed for destroying tropical forests, especially in the Lao PDR. Converting shifting cultivation into cash crop-based agriculture is recurrently presented as the solution merging forest protection and poverty alleviation. However, many attempts in the recent past have ended in failure. The Rural Development Project of Phongsaly District (PDDP) has tried to introduce […]

NAFRI Research Report: Farmers’ access to credit in the Lao PDR

The agricultural sector plays an important role in the development of the Lao PDR. In 2017, the growth rate of GDP was 6.9%. The growth rate of the agricultural sector increased by 2.9% contributing to 17.7% of the country’s GDP. In addition, the agriculture sector contributed to 60.8% of total employment. The financial sector largely […]

Case study on orchid exports from the Lao PDR: Recommendations for using the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora to increase sustainable orchid trade.

This report is a product of the project “Piloting CITES Implementation in Lao PDR: Strengthening Institutions through Case Studies”. Supported by the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC), this initiative was carried out by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and partners, including the National University of Laos and TRAFFIC, in 2007-2008.The initiative provided […]