SDC’s support in agricultural extension and rural advisory service in Lao PDR: the way ahead

Swiss Cooperation Office Mekong Region - Laos

LEAP closure event

Vientiane, 8 May 2014 Liliane Ortega

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WHY ? Specific experience & lessons learned

LEAP, 12 years partnership with MAF

•subSWG Agribusiness secretariat since 2005: context analysis and substantial contribution to the policy dialogue about small-scale agriculture; •2012: launching farmers’ conferences (farmers’ statements)•2014: facilitating the constitution of a national farmers network•Skills development, case studies, exposure and joint learning promise more impact on improving extension services than mandates, policies, and regulations•LEAP’s market development tools show possibilities for coordinating with the private sector to mobilize resources and leverage technical expertise (also EMRIP)

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WHY? Specific experience & lessons learned

SADU, 9 years implementation allowing to adapt market approaches to Lao upland realities; •much success in supporting farmer groups (XKJ);•valuable inputs to improve the policy and regulatory framework.

SADU, agriculture markets are complex, •linking farmers to market actors in order to contribute to farmers’ empowerment and profit can neither rely only on the public service, nor exclusively on private sector: a multi-stakeholder approach is required

•as well as a conducive policy framework to integrate small farmers

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WHY? Strategic framework

MAF, ‘gradual shift from the direct provision of service to the provision of an enabling regulatory framework’

DAEC strategy a “Breakthrough in Support for Small-Holder Farmers’ . Extension service provision involves various state and non-state actors

SDC Mekong Region Strategy 2013-2017‘ Women and men smallholder farmers, including ethnic minority groups, enjoy better production and sale conditions and increase their income’

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WHAT?

a new project fostering pluralism in advisory service delivery

Facilitating the emergence of an effective demand-driven pluralistic extension service delivery system, including self-determined and independent farmer organizations, to support gender inclusive agriculture value chains which improve upland farmers’ food security, opportunities and income.

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WHY? Further motivation

• Pluralism is seen to contribute to the sustainability of advisory services, which is always an issue given limited government and project funds

• Pluralism does broaden the reach of extension and advice

• Pluralism entails the risk of technological biases and path dependencies (danger of companies giving preference to their own products when offering advice).

• Farmer women need more support • The emergence of brown issues (use of chemicals,

soils depletion, water pollution, etc)

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Guiding principles• Using a multi-stakeholder approach

• Empowering the farmers

• Enhancing the principles of self-determination, democracy and transparency in supporting the farmer’s organizations

• Supporting the government in its new facilitating role

• Reaching remote poor and ethnic farmers

• Fostering self-employment for rural advisory provision• • Acting through a strong field presence

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Guiding principles

• Keeping supporting the open and democratic discussion forum and document repository LaoFab

• Maintaining a strong participation in the policy dialogue on agriculture and rural development (through the SSWG Agribusiness)

• Collaborating with the Asian Farmers Association to support the National Farmers’ Network

• Participating in the Global Forum on Rural Advisory Service (GFRAS)

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Lao Upland Rural Advisory Service Project