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Lao Gafsp Press Release
1.
New IFAD-supported project tackles
malnutrition and stunting in northern Laos
Vientiane, 29 April 2016– The UN’s International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD) and the government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic
signed an agreement yesterday to finance and implement a project that will reduce
extreme poverty and malnutrition for 34,000 poor rural households in northern
Laos.
The US$38.8 million Strategic Support for Food Security and Nutrition project will
ensure increased quality of health and life for poor rural people in 12 districts and
approximately 400 villages in Oudomxai, Phongsaly, Xieng Khouang and Houaphan
provinces. Among project activities, women will be empowered to improve family
diets particularly for infants during the first 1,000 days of life, farmers’ organisations
will be developed and small-scale farmers linked to markets, while farmers
themselves will be encouraged to develop a personalised ‘plan of action’ to generate
profitable agricultural production.
The project is funded by a $30 million grant from the Global Agriculture and Food
Security Program (GAFSP) with an additional $5.4 million from the government,
$500,000 from the private sector and $2.9 million from participants themselves.
The financing agreement was signed yesterday in Vientiane by Hoonae Kim, Director,
Asia and the Pacific Division, IFAD, and Thipphakhone Chanthavongsa, Deputy
Minister of Finance, Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
“The project will reduce malnutrition and enhance income and food security in rural
communities by supporting nutrition-sensitive and climate-smart agricultural
practices,” said Kim at the signing ceremony.
In Laos, undernutrition and food insecurity remain stubbornly high with stunting
levels for children under five years of age as high as 61 per cent in some provinces.
Improving women’s nutrition is critical to breaking the intergenerational cycle. This
can be done in part by providing training and building awareness around nutrition.
Communities most prone to undernutrition live in upland areas where household
income mostly comes from agriculture and non-timber forest product extraction.
Since 1980, IFAD has invested a total of $122.4 million in 14 programmes and
projects in Laos with a total cost of $272.8 million including cofinancing, reaching
over 272,875 households.
Note to editors:
To learn more on IFAD’s nutrition work in Laos: https://youtu.be/fmfsE31-yCA
2. To learn more about the Global Agriculture & Food Security Program (GAFSP) in
Laos:http://www.gafspfund.org/content/lao-peoples-democratic-republic
Press release No.: IFAD/25/2016
IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food
security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have provided
about US$17.7 billion in grants and low-interest loans to projects that have reached
some 459 million people. IFAD is an international financial institution and a
specialized United Nations agency based in Rome – the UN’s food and agriculture
hub.
