The project “Developing Capacity in Agriculture Innovation Systems: Scaling up the Tropical Agriculture Platform Framework” (TAP-AIS for short) aims to strengthen capacities to innovate for climate-resilient agriculture and food systems. The project is part of a larger European Union (EU) Initiative “Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture (DeSIRA): Towards climate-relevant Agricultural and Knowledge Innovation Systems”. The project is funded by the EU and is implemented in nine countries: five in Africa (Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Malawi, Rwanda and Senegal); three in Asia (Cambodia, Lao PDR and Pakistan) and one in Latin America (Colombia) from August 2019 to July 2024.

In Lao PDR, the project was approved by the Lao government on 19 February 2020 and began in August 2020. Despite the challenges posed by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the project has had significant achievements in strengthening capacities to innovate among key stakeholders in Lao PDR’s agricultural innovation system (AIS). A scoping study of the national agricultural innovation system (AIS) was conducted (October 2020) and the results were shared in the National Inception Workshop (20 November 2020). This study formed the basis of the more comprehensive AIS assessment  which was conducted by trained stakeholders in a participatory way during early 2021 to assess the key functions of the AIS, including opportunities, challenges and entry points for the capacity development activities with key AIS organizations. 

The AIS assessment identified several key organizations for capacity development: the Department of Agricultural Extension and Cooperatives (DAEC), National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI) and the Lao Farmers Network (LFN). The capacity needs of the three organizations were assessed to develop the capacity development plans and a roadmap to influence policy to promote innovation and support overall multi-stakeholder collaboration in Lao PDR’s AIS. Several project partners were identified to support the implementation of capacity development plans such as the Northern Agriculture and Forestry College (NAFC), which worked closely with the LFN, while the Centre for Research on Innovation and Science Policy (CRISP) supported DAEC and NAFRI’s capacity development activities. The Sector Working Group on Agriculture and Rural Development (SWGARD) was identified as an important multi-stakeholder platform to conduct the multi-stakeholder policy dialogues to promote agricultural innovation with implementation support from MAF’s Departments (Department of Planning and Cooperation [DOPC] and DAEC).

The project activities were guided by the Project Steering Committee members. Technical inputs were provided by the TAP-AIS project team at FAO HQ, Office of Innovation (OIN) and FAO TAP-AIS team in Lao PDR as well as key partners Lao Upland Rural Advisory Service (LURAS) and the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI). Organizational capacity development interventions resulted in the following capacities strengthened, which will enable actors to better innovate to transform the agrifood sector in Lao PDR:

1.) DAEC’s capacity to provide more demand-driven and market-oriented extension services suiting the needs of farmers strengthened through a series of trainings and practical exercises;

2.) The capacity of staff at DOPC, the SWGARD and its subsector working groups (SSWGs) to influence the policy process through multi-stakeholder policy dialogues to create a conducive environment for innovation has been strengthened;

3.) NAFRI’s capacity to collaborate with relevant institutions and farmers to facilitate the application of research in practice strengthened through a series of trainings and practical exercises;

4.) LFN and NAFC’s capacity to train smallholder farmers, especially women and youth, on agribusiness and market-orientation strengthened through the participatory development (led by NAFC with support from FAO, LFN and LURAS) of a training curriculum on agribusiness for smallholder farmers; 

5.) The capacity of all involved organizations and other key AIS stakeholders strengthened through various project activities such as the innovation market fair organized at NAFRI.

Overall, the two-year project strengthened the capacities of 155 (65 women) core beneficiaries, directly benefitted around 2000 individuals in total (including those who attended at least one TAP-AIS training, workshop or event) and a further estimated 2800 beneficiaries were supported indirectly by the project. In addition to the capacities strengthened, the following results and “products” of the project from the past 2 year (27 months) implementation period constitute important project achievements:

• Participatory and multi-stakeholder AIS assessment process: beginning with the initial scoping study and National Inception Workshop and culminating in the comprehensive AIS assessment report for Lao PDR – a training on AIS Assessment was held, two case studies produced, a consultation workshop, validation workshop and dissemination workshop on findings of AIS Assessment were conducted; 

• 3-5 publications: The consolidated report on the AIS Assessment (see footnote on previous page), two policy briefs: A way forward for supporting agricultural innovation in the Lao People's Democratic Republic  and Maximizing benefits from agricultural exports for Lao smallholder farmers  and the forthcoming publications: NAFRI’s Guidelines for demand-led and market-oriented applied agricultural and the Agribusiness training curriculum for small-holder farmers jointly produced by NAFC, LFN and FAO;

• 14 training workshops organized with partner organizations and service providers to strengthen DAEC, LFN, NAFRI and NAFC’s functional capacities

• Innovation market fair was organized during end of May and early June 2022 at NAFRI involving in total 56 innovation booths of local agribusinesses, development organizations, farmers and more local innovators and 567 participants;

• Two (2) National policy dialogues organized by DOPC, DAEC and NAFRI, with technical support of TAP-AIS;

• More than 10 news releases and short articles to raise awareness of project activities;

• Four (4) short videos produced (three interviews with stakeholders involved in the AIS Assessment and one on the overall “story of change” for the project.

The final project workshop was organized on 22 September 2022 in Landmark Hotel, Vientiane marking the completion of the main activities of the project. The final workshop provided opportunities to present the results and key achievements of the project with the major stakeholders in the agricultural innovation system (AIS). Organizations involved in the project also shared their experiences and lessons learned from the implementation of the project.

Lessons learned shared by TAP-AIS project stakeholders:

1. Capacity development requires commitment and effort from individuals and organizations such as willingness, resource allocation and time;

2. Project activities were designed based on the identified needs and aligned with the roles and responsibilities of the key organizations which resulted in increased ownership and positive impact;

3. High staff turnover means that continuous capacity development at all levels is needed;

4. A multi-stakeholder coordination mechanism (MAF or national level) can resolve multi-stakeholder issues as well as encourage new innovations; and

5. There is also a need for support to develop the capacity of entrepreneurs and small-holder farmers, especially on production for commercialization.

Stakeholders present at the final workshop also shared their proposed ideas for further support to the AIS in Lao PDR and next steps. Drawing on the achievements, lessons learned and identified needs from the TAP-AIS project, these are a few proposed areas of focus for continued support in Lao PDR in order to promote agricultural innovation: 

1. Strengthen capacities to innovate along the food value chain for domestic and export markets e.g. production – processing – trading/retailing – logistics (storage, distribution) – markets (domestic – export);

2. Establishment of multi-stakeholder coordination mechanism and networking among actors to support innovation and address key issues e.g. agricultural export, attract investment on agricultural inputs in country;

3. Demand-led and market-oriented research is needed to identify more innovation potentials in Lao PDR and develop new locally-adapted technologies and techniques; 

4. Capacity development and encouragement among smallholder farmers to be innovative: funding support or incentivize innovation, e.g. through farmer field schools (FFS), peer (farmer to farmer) learning programmes, advisory services or coaching on agriculture techniques and agribusiness for specific niche markets; and

5. Awareness raising and encouragement among youth (promoting gender and minority groups) to be innovative: development of curriculum on agricultural innovation at university/college, innovation competitions at university/colleges, funding support for innovation project (agribusiness) at university/college level, advisory service or coaching on agriculture techniques and agribusiness.