Download Article (PDF)

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Download Article (PDF) Advances in Economics, Business and Management Research, volume 58 Asian B&R Conference on International Business Cooperation (ISBCD 2018) Study on the Operating Mode of Agricultural Demonstration Park in Laos Aided by China Hao Yin Kunming, China [email protected] International Business School Yunnan University of Finance and Economics Kunming, China Huiping Liu [email protected] International Business School Yunnan University of Finance and Economics Ying Gao* Kunming, China [email protected] International Business School Yunnan University of Finance and Economics Abstract—Since the end of 1980s, as China carried out opium Laos has become a favorite target country for Chinese poppy replacement in the northern Laos area with agricultural OFDI. In 2015, China's total investment in Laos has reached projects, Chinese government and investors have played an 5.65 billion US dollars, and there are 125 Chinese enterprises important role in the development of agricultural industry and investing in Laos agriculture, of which 81 Yunnan enterprises, investment in Laos. The survey methods and case methods were accounting for 64.8% of the total, and more than 50% of the used in this text. The relevant conclusions have been drawn from total investment in Yunnan's foreign agricultural investment. cooperation modes and countermeasures. Firstly, the current Laos has grown up to the largest target market of OFDI of development status of the Laos agriculture was analyzed. Yunnan. China's non-financial direct investment in Laos Secondly, the mode of China's assistance to the Laos agricultural reached $1.36 billion, increased by 36.2 percentage points demonstration park was studied from major forms, achievements, compared with the previous year. The amount of OFDI to Laos and major difficulties. Finally, conclusions and some suggestions were discussed, which is of great significance to the aid of China's from China ranked second in ASEAN countries. It achieved agricultural development in Laos. win-win in bilateral economic and trade cooperation and promoted common progress of two countries. Keywords—operation mode; agricultural demonstration park; Scholars have little research on Chinese enterprises to Laos invest in Laos. In view of the existing research results, there is a lack of empirical research on the research on agricultural I. INTRODUCTION investment model and the improvement effect and impact of the development of foreign enterprises in Laos on local China has always promoted the agriculture and rural communities and farmers' life. Compared with the positive development and alleviating poverty in other developing practice of “going out” of Chinese agricultural enterprises, the countries as a priority area for foreign aid. academia lacks deep and comprehensive research on China By building farm, agricultural technology demonstration ASEAN agricultural investment [2]. For the lack of related center, agricultural technology test and promotion station, research, it can provide little theoretical guidance to water conservancy project, providing agricultural equipment investment activities of enterprise. Without research, and materials, dispatching agricultural experts and technicians, enterprises are hard to development healthily. Without research, training agricultural talents for recipient countries, and so on, government lacks reliable information to make decision [1]. China is actively aiding to other developing countries to improve their agricultural production capacity and to deal with II. THE CURRENT DEVELOPMENT STATUS OF the food crisis. AGRICULTURE IN LAOS Agricultural development is essential for developing countries to reduce poverty. Chinese agricultural experts not Agriculture is primary part of Laos' economy. Its only teach agricultural technology in recipient countries, but agricultural construction has made outstanding achievements also actively participate in the agricultural planning work of and provides a good model for the development of other recipient countries and help recipient countries complete the developing countries. The agricultural production in Laos can work of promoting agricultural development. As a pillar be divided into 3 agro-ecological areas in the north, the middle industry in Laos, agriculture has always been one of the hot and the south, of which there are 7 provinces in the northern spots of foreign investment. agro-ecological area, 6 provinces in the central agro-ecological area and 4 provinces in the southern agro-ecological area. The * Corresponding author Copyright © 2018, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). 426 Advances in Economics, Business and Management Research, volume 58 northern region has a large population and developed 7 Cassava 1.1 14.7 15.3 industries, but the loss of labor force is relatively serious. The cultivated land area of rural areas has been reduced, and the 8 Coffee 6.5 0.88 4.6 level of agricultural development has lagged behind. The 9 Tobacco 0.5 10.1 4.84 central region is the highest level of agricultural development, Data source: Ministry of agriculture of Laos and the level of Agricultural Mechanization in the region is the highest in the country. The South relies on the shipping advantage of the Mekong River and the level of agricultural III. CHINA’S ASSISTANCE TO AGRICULTURAL development is inferior to that of the central region. DEMONSTRATION PARK IN LAOS Laos is rich in agricultural and forestry resources, which is incomparable to the other landlocked countries. The special A. Main Forms natural climate moistens Laos and enables its people to plant The main forms of agricultural aid to Laos by China various crops on the land. In addition, Laos has plenty of water include aiding to construct farm, agricultural technology and suitable temperature, which provides suitable conditions demonstration center, agricultural technology experiment for the growth of trees and so on, so its forest resources are station and extension station, construction of farmland water extremely rich. Laos has diversified terrain. There are conservancy projects, agricultural machinery, agricultural mountains, plains, hills and so on. the water resources in the products processing equipment and related agricultural territory are rich, such as the Mekong River, the South Sang materials, external assignment agricultural technicians and River and other rivers flowing through. Rivers nourish all experts to teach technology of agricultural production and things on the earth. It is important to emphasize that the soil provide advice on agricultural development. resources in Laos are also more special, such as humus, red soil, and submersible soil. This kind of soil is more fertile and B. Achievements rich in minerals, which plays a positive role in the growth of Chinese investment enterprises are mainly concentrated in crops. Laos is located in Southeast Asia. Neighboring countries the northern part of Laos. The main business projects are belong to coastal countries. Although they are not in the sea, agricultural cultivation, including rice, corn, sugarcane, castor, they are also obviously affected by the marine climate. rubber, cassava, vegetable, tobacco and tropical fruit, etc. [6]. The agricultural products of Laos can be divided into three The key projects of the strategic cooperation between China categories. they are food crops, cash crops and fruit. Rice, corn and the Laos are as follows: and potato are the most important food crops. Coffee, tobacco and tea are the pillar cash crops. The main fruits are tropical C. Laos-Chongqing Comprehensive Agricultural Park fruit, such as coconut, banana, yellow fruit, and so on. For The Laos-Chongqing comprehensive agricultural park is a livestock, pigs, cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks and geese are demonstration project of agricultural cooperation established widely raised. Aquatic products are relatively abundant. Carp by the Chongqing of China and the Vientiane of Laos in 2004. and catfish are favorite by resident. The total area of the park is 5000 hectares. The project is located in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. The park is mainly Because of the unique geographical location, wet and rainy divided into three stages. Agricultural experiments zone and climate, the agricultural economy of the country is growing supporting construction were developed in first stage. Crops, rapidly. At the same time, how to transform natural resources Livestock, Aquaculture are exploited in second stage. into economic resources, how to operate the scientific Agricultural production processing and related industry will be development strategy and promote the healthy development of developed in third stage. Finally, the agricultural experiment agriculture are the urgent problem that Laos need to solve. park would be developed into a comprehensive park with TABLE I. THE MAIN GRAIN CROPS AND ECONOMIC CROPS IN THE agricultural and sideline products processing, and commercial circulation platform. PLANTING AREA AND YIELD 1) Yunnan-oudomxay agricultural science and technology (UNIT: TEN THOUSAND HECTARES) demonstration park Single Plantin Total Agriculture Department of Yunnan province and the Crop output (ton agriculture and Forestry Department of the province of g area output Oudomxay Province in Laos established the agricultural /hectare) demonstration park in April 2007. After several years of 1 Early rice 68 3.76 245 development, 23 hybrid rice
Recommended publications
  • Revolution, Reform and Regionalism in Southeast Asia
    Revolution, Reform and Regionalism in Southeast Asia Geographically, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam are situated in the fastest growing region in the world, positioned alongside the dynamic economies of neighboring China and Thailand. Revolution, Reform and Regionalism in Southeast Asia compares the postwar political economies of these three countries in the context of their individual and collective impact on recent efforts at regional integration. Based on research carried out over three decades, Ronald Bruce St John highlights the different paths to reform taken by these countries and the effect this has had on regional plans for economic development. Through its comparative analysis of the reforms implemented by Cam- bodia, Laos and Vietnam over the last 30 years, the book draws attention to parallel themes of continuity and change. St John discusses how these countries have demonstrated related characteristics whilst at the same time making different modifications in order to exploit the strengths of their individual cultures. The book contributes to the contemporary debate over the role of democratic reform in promoting economic devel- opment and provides academics with a unique insight into the political economies of three countries at the heart of Southeast Asia. Ronald Bruce St John earned a Ph.D. in International Relations at the University of Denver before serving as a military intelligence officer in Vietnam. He is now an independent scholar and has published more than 300 books, articles and reviews with a focus on Southeast Asia,
    [Show full text]
  • Chinese Agriculture in Southeast Asia: Investment, Aid and Trade in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar
    Chinese Agriculture in Southeast Asia: Investment, Aid and Trade in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar Mark Grimsditch June 2017 Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 10 Part I: China’s Overseas Agriculture Activities ................................................................................. 12 The Development of China‟s Engagement in Overseas Agriculture .................................................. 12 China‟s Overseas Agriculture Aid ...................................................................................................... 12 Overseas Agriculture Investment ...................................................................................................... 16 Motivations and Drivers of China‟s Overseas Agriculture .................................................................. 18 Actors Involved in Overseas Investment ........................................................................................... 21 Regulation of Overseas Investment .................................................................................................. 24 Social and Environmental Guidelines for Overseas Investment .................................................... 24 Regulation of State-owned Enterprises ........................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • DEVELOPMENT in LAO PDR: the Food Security Paradox
    DEVELOPMENT IN LAO PDR: The Food Security Paradox by David Fullbrook Working Paper Series Schweizerische Eidgenossenscahft Mekong Region Confédération suisse Confederazione Svizzera Confederazium svizra Lao PDR Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC SWISS AGENCY FOR DEVELOPMENT & COOPERATION The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) a division of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), is responsible for Switzerland’s international cooperation and development program. The most important areas of work for the SDC are as follows: - Bilateral and multilateral cooperation - Humanitarian aid, through the Humanitarian Aid Department and the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (HA/SHA) - Cooperation with Eastern Europe and the CIS www.sdc.admin.ch SDC IN THE MEKONG REGION - LAO PDR Working Paper Series No. 1 Development in Lao PDR: The Food Security Paradox Swiss Cooperation in the Mekong Region: Working Paper Series SDC in the Mekong region commissions independent research to examine matters of current interest to national governments, their development partners, and international institutions. Working papers are intended to contribute to on-going discussions and debates. They are not position papers and their findings may be tentative. By David Fullbrook www.swiss-cooperation.admin.ch/mekong PREFACE This working paper was conceived as a meta-study to provide a strategic view of the situation in the Lao PDR drawing on data and findings from dozens of field studies, which were subsequently analyzed in the light of local and global trends and developments to synthesize fresh insights and an assessment of the outlook for food security plus scenarios and options. Boundaries drawn up for the study precluded consideration of the complexities of climate change.
    [Show full text]
  • Mekong River in the Economy
    le:///.le/id=6571367.3900159 NOVEMBER REPORT 2 0 1 6 ©THOMAS CRISTOFOLETTI / WWF-UK In the Economy Mekong River © NICOLAS AXELROD /WWF-GREATER MEKONG Report prepared by Pegasys Consulting Hannah Baleta, Guy Pegram, Marc Goichot, Stuart Orr, Nura Suleiman, and the WWF-Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam teams. Copyright ©WWF-Greater Mekong, 2016 2 Foreword Water is liquid capital that flows through the economy as it does FOREWORD through our rivers and lakes. Regionally, the Mekong River underpins our agricultural g systems, our energy production, our manufacturing, our food security, our ecosystems and our wellbeing as humans. The Mekong River Basin is a vast landscape, deeply rooted, for thousands of years, in an often hidden water-based economy. From transportation and fish protein, to some of the most fertile crop growing regions on the planet, the Mekong’s economy has always been tied to the fortunes of the river. Indeed, one only need look at the vast irrigation systems of ancient cities like the magnificent Angkor Wat, to witness the fundamental role of water in shaping the ability of this entire region to prosper. In recent decades, the significant economic growth of the Lower Mekong Basin countries Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Viet Nam — has placed new strains on this river system. These pressures have the ability to impact the future wellbeing including catalysing or constraining the potential economic growth — if they are not managed in a systemic manner. Indeed, governments, companies and communities in the Mekong are not alone in this regard; the World Economic Forum has consistently ranked water crises in the top 3 global risks facing the economy over the coming 15 years.
    [Show full text]
  • Lao's Organic Agriculture: 2012 Update
    Lao's Organic Agriculture: 2012 Update Vitoon Panyakul Earth Net Foundation / Green Net June 2012 United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) UN Inter Agency Cluster on Trade and Productive Capacity "Enhancing sustainable tourism, clean production and export capacity in Lao People’s Democratic Republic” Page 1 of 13 1. Introduction This report is part of the project UN Inter Agency Cluster on Trade and Productive Capacity "Enhancing sustainable tourism, clean production and export capacity in Lao People’s Democratic Republic". The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), one of the UN collaborating agencies in this project, saw a need to have current information on Lao organic agriculture and thus commissioned the Earth Net Foundation to update the information in the ITC's report “Organic Agriculture in Laos PDR: Overview and Development Options ” done in January 2009. The report is based on 4 input sources: (a) review of various reports and documents, (b) interview and discussion with key stakeholders visited from December 2011 – May 2012, (c) comments and suggestions collected from National Organic Agriculture Forum held on 23rd March 2012, in Vientiane, and (d) the consultant’s personal observations based on experiences in organic agriculture in Southeast Asian countries. New and updated reports and documents reviewed include: • Khamxay Sipaseuth, Phonthip Sommany, Viengngeune Bouasipaseuth, and Andrew Wilson (2008), Organic Vegetable and Fruit Production in Lao PDR: A Pre-feasibility Study Report, Helvetas. • Khamxay Sipaseuth, Viengngeune Bouasipaseuth, and Andrew Wilson (2008), Organic Vegetable and Fruit in Luang Prabang Province, Lao PDR : A Pre- feasibility Study , Helvetas. • Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (2010), Strategy for Agricultural Development 2011 to 2020, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Lao Government, Vientiane.
    [Show full text]
  • Shifting Cultivation in Laos: Transitions in Policy and Perspective
    Shifting Cultivation in Laos: Transitions in Policy and Perspective This report has been commissioned by the Secretariat of the Sector Working Group For Agriculture and Rural Development (SWG-ARD) and was written by Miles Kenney-Lazar Graduate School of Geography, Clark University, USA [email protected] The views contained in this report are those of the researcher and may not necessary reflect those of the Government of Lao PDR 1 Abbreviations and acronyms ACF Action Contre la Faim CCAFS Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security CGIAR Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research CPI Committee for Planning and Investment DAEC Department of Agricultural Extension and Cooperatives DCCDM Department of Climate Change and Disaster Management DAFO District Agriculture and Forestry Office DLUP Department of Land Use Planning EC European Commission FS 2020 Forest Strategy to the Year 2020 GOL Government of Laos ha hectares IIED International Institute for Environment and Development Lao PDR Lao People‘s Democratic Republic LFAP Land and Forest Allocation Program LPRP Lao People‘s Revolutionary Party MAF Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry MONRE Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment MPI Ministry of Planning and Investment NAFRI National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute NA National Assembly NEM New Economic Mechanism NLMA National Land Management Authority NGPES National Growth and Poverty Eradication Strategy NNT NPA Nakai-Nam Theun National Protected Area NPEP National Poverty Eradication Program NTFPs
    [Show full text]
  • Promoting Agricultural Entrepreneurship in Laos
    Focus Promoting agricultural entrepreneurship in Laos Rural advisory services cannot (and should not) tell young people what to do; but they can point to options and then support them in implementing the paths they themselves have chosen. One of these paths is agricultural entrepreneurship – a very young concept for Laos. Our authors give an account of initial experiences. The national census for Laos shows that approximately one million people between the ages of 15 and 24 live in rural areas. Representing roughly 15 per cent of the total population of this land-locked country in South East Asia, rural youth are crucial to the future of agriculture, but mostly ig- nored by development programmes. The rapid transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture in Laos has been accompanied by increased con- nectivity (e.g. roads, phones, social media), which has brought both op- portunities and problems for young people. Compared to their parents, rural youth are better informed, in- creasingly mobile, and have access to a wider range of products. But they The participants of the competition are also more exposed to the threat of presenting their prototypes. trafficking, drugs, and debt, and are Photo: Andrew Bartlett more likely to leave the village. The Lao Upland Rural Advisory Ser- work, with uncertain returns. They see far more precarious forms of employ- vice (LURAS) is a Swiss-funded pro- themselves as having low social status ment such as unskilled labourers on gramme implemented by Helvetas and few opportunities for advance- plantations, in construction and facto- and the Department of Agricultural ment. The lack among villagers of ries, or in parts of the service sector.
    [Show full text]
  • Energy, Environment and Livelihoods in the Lao Pdr
    Visa Tuominen, Tytti Pasanen, Ilkka Keskiväli, Hanna Lakkala, Orkide Akgün, Jyrki Luukkanen, Jari Kaivo-oja & Juha Panula-Ontto ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT AND LIVELIHOODS IN THE LAO PDR Results from a 2011 Household Survey FINLAND FUTURES RESEARCH CENTRE FFRC eBOOK 5/2013 1 Contributors to the eBook: Visa Tuominen Tytti Pasanen Ilkka Keskiväli Hanna Lakkala Orkide Akgun Jyrki Luukkanen Jari Kaivo-oja Juha Panula-Ontto The data published in this report was collected as a part of the project: “Interlinkages between Energy and Livelihoods − Data, Training and Scenarios for Sustainable Energy Planning in Laos (INES)”, funded by the Energy and Environment Partnership (EEP) with the Mekong Region, financed by the Min- istry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and the Nordic Development Fund. Copyright © 2013 Writers & Finland Futures Research Centre, University of Turku Cover picture © Jyrki Luukkanen ISBN 978-952-249-261-6 ISSN 1797-1322 FINLAND FUTURES RESEARCH CENTRE Turku School of Economics FI-20014 University of Turku, Finland Visiting address: ElectroCity, Tykistökatu 4 B, 20520 Turku Korkeavuorenkatu 25 A 2, FI-00130 Helsinki Yliopistonkatu 58 D, FI-33100 Tampere Tel. +358 2 333 9530 utu.fi/ffrc | [email protected] mekong.fi | [email protected] 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 5 1.1. Lao PDR ...................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Institutional Strengthening for Poverty Monitoring and Evaluation
    Technical Assistance Consultant’s Report Project Number: 35473 2008 Lao PDR: Institutional Strengthening for Poverty Monitoring and Evaluation {(Financed by the <source of funding>)} Prepared by {author(s)} {Firm name} {City, country} For {Executing agency} {Implementing agency} This consultant’s report does not necessarily reflect the views of ADB or the Government concerned, and ADB and the Government cannot be held liable for its contents. (For project preparatory technical assistance: All the views expressed herein may not be incorporated into the proposed project’s design. Participatory Poverty Assessment (2006) Lao People’s Democratic Republic National Statistics Center Asian Development Bank James R. Chamberlain ADB TA 4521 Institutional Strengthening for Poverty Monitoring and Evaluation 2006-2007 Technical Assistance Consultant’s Report National Statistics Center All Rights Reserved This report was prepared by consultants based on results of the technical assistance project Institutional Strengthening for Poverty Monitoring and Evaluation funded by the Asian Development Bank. 3 Figure 1 - Map of the Lao PDR 4 Table of Contents FOREWORD..............................................................................................................................................8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......................................................................................................................9 ABBREVIATIONS..................................................................................................................................10
    [Show full text]
  • Agrarian Transition in Lowland Southern Laos: Implications for Rural Livelihoods
    Agrarian Transition in Lowland Southern Laos: Implications for Rural Livelihoods Vongpaphane Manivong BSc (Economics) MPhil (Agricultural Economics) A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Queensland in 2014 School of Agriculture and Food Sciences Abstract Despite being a low-income, agriculture-based country with a subsistence orientation, Laos is in the early stages of a major economic transformation whereby rural households have been experiencing rapid change in their farming and livelihood systems. Some households have begun to engage in semi-commercial farming while others have adopted labour-oriented or migration- oriented livelihood strategies. This study explores livelihood strategies of rural households in lowland rice-based farming systems in Southern Laos in relation to government policies for agricultural development and the agrarian transition occurring in Laos and the region. The analytical framework used for this study draws on farming systems economics, agrarian systems analysis, and rural livelihoods analysis. Data were obtained from six villages in the lowlands of Champasak Province in Southern Laos through key informant interviews, village group discussions, household surveys, and household case studies. Survey and case study data were supplemented with project and historical agronomic trial results in order to construct model budgets for various input scenarios of rice production. To allow for the production and market risks facing farmers, the budgeting analysis was supplemented by the techniques of sensitivity analysis, threshold analysis, and risk analysis. The study shows that Lao farmers in areas such as the lowlands of Champasak are caught up in, and contributing to, a much larger regional process of agrarian transition.
    [Show full text]
  • Agricultural and Rural Development in Lao
    Laos 1 Presented by: Thipphaphone Douangsila 2 1. General Information Capital city: Vientiane capital Population : 6.8 million (2015) Areas: 236,800 km2 Ethnicity : 49 ethnic groups (4 language groups: Lao-Tai (majority), Mon-Khmer, Hmong-Iu Mien, and Chine-Tibetan) Official Language: Lao Administrative division: 17 provinces, 141 districts, and villages. 3 2. Legal structure Legal structure Legislative Branch Executive Branch Judiciary Branch Head of the State National Assembly The People’s Court (president) Local People Assembly Head of the government People’s Supreme Court, Local (Provincial, district, village (Prime Ministers) People's courts levels) 4 3. Government Branch Prime Minister Ministers/Provincial Governor Prime Minister Office District Chief Village Chief 5 4. Landscape • 80% of the land is mountainous slope, especially in the Northern and Eastern part. • About 68 % of population live in rural areas. 6 5. Role of Agriculture in Laos Agriculture is the most important Agriculture’s share in GDP sector for sustainable 60 development and poverty 50 53 reduction 45 Agricultural sectors covers 40 27. 4 39.1 % of GDP 30 29 27.4 27.3 About 69 % of the population Percentage 25 depend on agriculture, mainly 20 22.8 23.6 rice cultivation, and raising 10 livestock 0.6 1 6.2 0 Agriculture Industry Service Import duties 2000 2005 2011 7 6. Agricultural land About 4.5 million ha (19% of the total land area) are allocated for agriculture Of these, 2.5 million ha (10%) have been used for agriculture Agricultural Land Use Grass Land 15% Cash Crop/Annual Crop 45% Rice Field 1.
    [Show full text]
  • The Agroecological Transition of Agricultural Systems in the Global South F.-X
    Agricultures et défis du monde Collection Cirad-AFD The agroecological transition of agricultural systems in the Global South F.-X. Côte, E. Poirier-Magona, S. Perret, P. Roudier, B. Rapidel,p M.-C. Thirion, éditorséditors Chapter 5 Accompanying the actors of the agroecological transition in Laos Pascal Lienhard, Jean-Christophe Castella, Pierre Ferrand, Morgane Cournarie, Patrick d’Aquino, Éric Scopel, Nathalie Bougnoux THE DRIVERS OF THE AGROECOLOGICAL TRANSITION IN LAOS In Laos, the agrarian transition is characterized by rapid changes in agricultural production systems. Since the early 2000s, a transition has been taking place, away from subsistence agriculture, primarily based on rice cultivation, forest gathering and extensive livestock farming, and towards market-oriented agricultural production systems, with a significant and rapid increase in crops grown for export (Figure 5.1) to neighbouring countries, mainly China, Thailand and Vietnam. This transition has been facilitated by the implementation of successive public policies to limit the use of shifting cultivation and to modernize agriculture (Box 5.1), and by the result of the country becoming a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1997. The rapid expansion of cash crops cultivation has undoubtedly led to an overall reduction in poverty but it has also weakened farming communities (75% of the total population of Laos), with growing inequalities between producers, a sharp rise in indebtedness, and an increased vulnerability of these communities. Increasing climatic hazards are now combined with growing economic risks (more frequent situations of local commercial monopolies, production contracts with terms and prices that are not respected, strong interannual price variations, etc.).
    [Show full text]