A one day meeting to discuss the problems related to parasites in fish in Lao PDR was held in Vientiane on 03 December 2009. The invited participants included Department of Livestock and Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, public health personnel and fish farmer representatives. 

The meeting was opened by Dr. Bounkhouang Khamounhouang, Director General, Department of Livestock and Fisheries and Mr. Serge Verniau, Representative of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to Lao PDR. In the opening remarks the importance of fish and the safety of this source of food in Lao PDR were stressed.

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FAO LAUNCHED “HUNGER STRIKE AGAINST HUNGER” TO SHOW SOLIDARITY FOR THE HUNGRY 

The World Summit on Food Security started on Monday 16 November in Rome. FAO has convened the Summit in a bid to organize political will behind increased investment in agriculture and a reinvigorated international effort to combat hunger. The Vice President of the Lao National Assembly, HE Ms. Pany Yathoutou, heads the Lao delegation to the Summit.

On the eve of the Summit, FAO called for a day-long, worldwide hunger strike against chronic hunger. “We are suggesting that everyone in the world who wants to show solidarity with the one hungry billion people on this planet go on hunger strike next Saturday or Sunday,” FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf told a press conference last week. “I shall personally begin a 24-hour fast on Saturday morning,” he added.

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Statement of Laos to World Summit on Food Security

A week-long workshop on collecting and analysing sex-disaggregated data began in Vientiane on 09 November 2009. The training was opened by Dr. Bounthong Bouahom, Permanent Secretary’s Office, and Mr. Serge Verniau, FAO Representative to Lao PDR.

“National socio-economic development planning must be supported by sound sex-disaggregated data across all policy areas. However, it is important to remember that sex-disaggregated data alone is not enough. We also need to analyze and understand the underlying cultural, economic, social and political factors that are part of the structural reasons for why human development indicators for men and women are not equal” Mr. Verniau said in his opening remarks.

“In many cases, data collection tools do not yet take into account a gender perspective and the methodologies are not standardized. This leads to data that is neither gender sensitive, nor comparable.”

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Mr Vongtavanh Chiemsisoulath is the winner of a 150,000 kip food basket. He became the lucky winner after having answered correctly to four questions related to insects and insect farming. Mr. Chiemsisoulath, 58, participated in the insect quiz at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) booth at the World Food Day and Poverty Eradication Week expo that was held at the Cultural Hall in Vientiane from 16 to 18 October.

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FAO has organized web pages to support the collection and sharing of basic geo-spatial data, in particular satellite imagery, to conduct analysis for validating and assessing flood impact on population, natural resources and agriculture in the areas affected by Typhoon Ketsana.

At the moment, Landsat scenes and mosaics (2000 and 2005) have been uploaded for distribution.

FAO has also requested the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) to trigger the activation of the International Charter Space and Major Disasters to support the damage assessment and response efforts related to Typhoon Ketsana in Lao DPR.

For more information visit:

http://dwms.fao.org/emergencies/ketsana/index_en.asp

NEW FAO PROJECT HELPS LAO PDR CONSERVE AND SUSTAIN PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES

Market scenes with a variety of examples of Plant Genetic Resources shown 

Photos: Norihiko Tomooka

A new FAO project that was signed on 30 September 2009 in Vientiane supports the Lao PDR in strengthening its activities related to information on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. The Capacity Building and Enhanced Regional Collaboration for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Plant Genetic Resources in Asia project will be put into action by the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute NAFRI.

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SMALLHOLDER LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS TO BENEFIT FROM INNOVATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH MANAGEMENT PROJECT 

An innovative project that aims at strengthening the capacity in animal production and veterinary services in Lao PDR was launched on Friday in Vientiane capital. H.E. Dr. Bounkhouang Khambounheuang Director General of Livestock and Fisheries and Mr. Serge Verniau FAO Representative to Lao PDR spoke at the opening.

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A two day meeting for senior food safety risk managers and scientific advisors was held in Vientiane on 21–22 September 2009 to prioritise food safety problems and discuss decision-making strategies for their effective control. The meeting was opened by Dr. Bounkouang Phichit, Vice-Minister, Ministry of Health. In his opening remarks Dr. Phichit stressed the importance of education, training and science to strengthen food handling and storage practices by farmers, processors and consumers. Dr. Phichit stated that food safety is a priority issue for the Government of Laos.  

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Vientiane, 23 July 2009: Results of the first statistics-based assessment of the situation and outlook of rice in Lao PDR will be presented today at a national workshop held at the Lao Plaza hotel, paving the way for a better understanding of the rice situation in the country and increased capacity to plan agricultural (rice) production development and environmental or economic change. 

The Department of Planning, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will present the results of a year-long technical cooperation project between FAO and MAF (TCP/LAO/3202 – Strengthening capacity for statistical assessment of the situation and outlook of rice in Lao PDR) during a workshop attended by senior and middle officials of the government, representatives from the international organizations, non-government organizations and the donor community operating in the country.

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