The document outlines a development strategy for a farmer organization (FO) involved in biotrade in Northern Laos from 2017-2020. The vision is for the FO to use biotrade opportunities to develop value chains, create jobs, increase incomes, and benefit the rural population while protecting biodiversity. The mission is for the FO to contribute to sustainable development at provincial/district levels and represent farmers in national environmental agreements. The goal is to strengthen the FO to do business that benefits from sustainable biodiversity use and development. The strategy will be implemented through infrastructure development, supporting services, and enabling policies to promote sustainable resource use and increase farmer incomes through value addition.

1. Prepared by Phetsoulaphonh Choulatida, Project Officer Value Chain 1October 12, 2016
Regional Biotrade Project
Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Lao PDR,
Myanmar)
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The FO Development Strategy 2017
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I. Type of FO Biotrade
Commercial Farmer Organisation
II. Vision
The Regional Biotrade Project Southeast Asia will contribute to protect Biodiversity
resource; the vision of biotrade farmer organization is to use this opportunity in
specific value chains of Northern Laos plus the local social-economic development
plan and policies on environment and biodiversity protection that will create jobs
and income, increasing the livelihood benefits of the rural population, including
minorities.
III. Mission
At the provincial and district level, the Biotrade strategic direction contributes to the
economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. And at
the national level, the farmer organization representatives involve in the decision-
making process of national multilateral environmental agreements in order to
develop Lao biotrade and create biotrade association in Lao PDR.
IV. Goal
Based on the vision above, the development goal will ensure that, the farmer
organization will be strengthening and/or creating to do business that benefit from
an enabling environment for trade in products and services derived from the
sustainable use of biodiversity.
The goal can contribute to sustainable development by promoting the sustainable
use of ecosystem services by farmer organization, and rural peoples harness the
benefits of well-preserved ecosystem services in a sustainable and inclusive manner.
V. How to Achieve this strategy
1) Infrastructure
 Farmer Institutional Development
 Raw Materials Traceability
 Value Chain Processing Unit

2. Prepared by Phetsoulaphonh Choulatida, Project Officer Value Chain 2October 12, 2016
 Collection and Market Places
 Learning Center
 Website Development
2) Supporting services
 Biotrade Awareness Raising
 Group Formulation and Strengthening
 Quality Control
 Training and Capacity Building
 Trade Networking
 Information Sharing
 Access to Finance
3) Enabling policy
 Policy Review
 FO Registration
 Certification for Sustainable Trade
 Promotion of PPP Model
 Creation of Biotrade Association in Laos
 Market Access
VI. Conclusion
This farmer organization strategy will promote the role of local people who own the
natural resource and manage sustainably by increasing income from value addition.
VII. Suggestion and recommendation
In order to promote the biotrade farmer organization become active actor, there are
key things we should take in account:
 Establish a group with clear objectives
 Group is voluntary to be a member and differentiate the benefit for member
and non-member
 Well- group function should clear separately to promote trader group,
master trainer, production group, and based production group.
 Access to market is a heart of commercial farmer organization
 Gradually eradicate elite domination
 Start implementing social audit if the environment is favorable

3. Prepared by Phetsoulaphonh Choulatida, Project Officer Value Chain 3October 12, 2016
Source: Phetsoulaphonh Choulatida, 2016
NOTE:
This strategy will annually be updated based on real situation and project implementation period.