Field Guide for a Socially Responsible Agricultural Investment in Lao PDR
1. Field Guide for Planning a Socially
Responsible Agricultural
Investment in Lao PDR
2ND REGIONAL LAND FORUM, BANGKOK
29 MAY 2018
BY: VANIDA KHOUANGVICHIT & JUSTINE SYLVESTER
VILLAGE FOCUS INTERNATIONAL, LAO PDR
2. Background of the Field Guide
Draws on experiences & lessons of the Responsible
Agricultural Investment (RAI) Working Group from 2015 –
2018
This multi-stakeholder group visited several investment sites in
Laos & met with companies, local government & communities
affected by agricultural investment
Aims to strengthen responsible business policies & practices in
Laos
3. Background of the Field Guide
Designed as a practical
tool for agricultural
investors seeking to
invest or expand
operations in Laos
Also a useful reference
tool for other actors
working on RAI
The Field Guide is available in 3 languages:
Lao, Chinese & English
4. Why is a Field Guide needed?
Agricultural investment has
brought economic growth for
some, but also created land
tenure insecurity for some rural
communities
Plenty of global guidance
available, but not context-
specific for Laos
Learning about coffee investment in Laos
5. How was the Field Guide developed?
Multi-stakeholder process, led by VFI with inputs from:
Government agencies
Agribusinesses
Civil society organisations
Donors / development partners
Research institutions
6. Testing the Field Guide
The Field Guide was tested
in Oudomxay province
(northern Laos)
The team gathered
feedback from local
government agencies and a
Chinese banana company
Banana plantation in Oudomxay
7. Content of the Field Guide
Section I: Who should use this
Field Guide, and why?
Mainly for agricultural
investors in Laos
Lao national priorities
International guidance
The Field Guide is based on global guidance
8. Content of the Field Guide
Section II: Guiding Principles
1. Consultation & participation of local
communities
2. Transparency
3. Respect for tenure of land, natural
resources & water
4. Continuous improvement
5. Multi-stakeholder approach
9. Content of the Field Guide
Section III: RAI
throughout the project
cycle
Description of the 4
stages
Steps to take
10. Content of the Field Guide
Section IV: Annexes
Checklist of Lao policies, laws
& regulations
Directory of useful global
guidance
Example of a community
communications tool used by a
company in Laos
11. What’s next for the Field Guide?
Further ‘field testing’ with
companies and other stakeholders
Integrating into a ‘investor package’
of information given by MPI to
potential investors seeking to invest
(responsibly) in Laos
Coffee from an investment in Laos
12. Thank you for your attention
Any comments or questions?
Oudomxay Province, rice fields with banana plantation in background