07/07/2016The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has reaffirmed its commitment to the government's policies for the sustainable development of agriculture,forestry and fisheries. The FAO has also emphasised the need for ecological apporoaches to increase production and improve people's livelihoods. These messages were given by the Global Leader of FAO's Strategic Programme on Sustainable Agriculture, Dr Clayton Campanhola, during his working visit to Laos frok June 29-July 2. The FAO has made the sustainability of agriculture one of the world's production sysytems struggle to deliver under multiple pressures including chemical use and soil depletion. Dr Campanhola and his delegation visited Phaxay district in Xieng Khuang province and took the opportunity to examine work focusing on the sustainable intensification of rice production which started last year and gave exellent results in the 2015  season. Villagers formed groups to hold weekly participatory sessions over five months to study ecology of the rice in their fields, and manage various aspects of the growth of the crop to increase yields without using chemicals. The local extension officeres from the district agriculture and forestry office are facilitating  these community-led approaches in the "Faremer Field School" model under the guidance of FAO experts, and ensuring that the policies adopted by the provincial government are followed. Dr Campanhola also visited Khoun district where he saw that rice fields can produce much more than rice.Farmers have been managing natural features in the landscape to regulate water levels and increase the production of fish,frogs, and other aquatic animals in the paddies. With advice from the office and FAO, farmers have also created small ponds to breed important species, which are being released into the paddies to augment the natural stocks of key species. The FAO mission also attended a meeting of the Sector working Group on agriculture and Rural Development and accompained by Ministry of agriculture representatives,visited a range of locations in Xieng Khuang province to see the results of FAO's support to the govenment. Dr Campanhola also met with the Duputy Minister of agriculture and Forestry Dr Phouangparisak Pravongviengkham and the FAO team in Laos to discuss the govenment's policies and programmes on sustainable agriculture and forestry. FAO Represntative in Laos Dr Stephen Rudgtard said "Villagers are using these approaches to improve their nutrition as well as earning money from the sale of surplus production in the market." The approaches being used in three districts in Xeing Khuang ar being also used in Champassak, Savannakhet, and Xayaboury provincies. The mission will report its findings to FAO senior management as Laos is one of the highest priority countries for FAO at the global level, and share the lessons learned with other countries.