In 2010, the Food and Agriculture Organization for the United Nations (FAO) has provided 605 tons of improved rice seeds and 84,000 agricultural hand-tools to 19,418 typhoon affected rural families under funding of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Kingdom of Sweden and the Principality of Andorra. FAO is now looking for USD 1.2 million to continue its relief operations in order to support the emergency agricultural needs of rural families affected by Typhoon Ketsana and the families who currently suffer from this year late and erratic rainfalls. Read more

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the 17th FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Coordinating Committee for Asia (CCASIA) the Lao delegation submitted a project document proposing to develop a regional Codex food standard for edible crickets and products made from crickets. This standard would contribute to protect consumer’s health and ensure fair practices in the international trade of these edible insect products from Lao PDR and other producer countries. The Committee considered the ‘Proposal for new work on development of regional standard for edible crickets and their products’ prepared by Lao PDR delegation with technical assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Laos. Read more

 

On Monday the 15th, Tuesday the 16th and Wednesday the 17th of November 2010, food baskets were distributed to quiz winners at the Food and Agriculture Organization for the United Nations (FAO) booth at the That Luang Festival. The quiz was about insect consumption and farming.

Three winners a day were chosen among the people that answered correctly to the questions. More than 300 questionnaires were filled on Wednesday the 17th, when the booth was really full of people with Sticky Fingers Chef Sisouphanh Ocampo showcasing his famous Insect Tacos. Read more

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Department of Livestock and Fisheries (DLF) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) have at the end of September 2010 agreed on the continued support to strengthen the emergency preparedness for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Lao PDR. The main objective of the FAO support in 2010-2011 will be to reduce the risk of an HPAI outbreak in the country, thus avoiding the possibility of a pandemic and reducing the risk of contamination to humans. The project continues improving the capacity of the Lao PDR to prevent, prepare for and effectively respond to the outbreaks of HPAI in animal population and to limit its impacts on livelihoods. The project also aims to contribute to longer term human resource development, improved data collection, analysis and mapping, and to minimize the risk of HPAI introduction to Lao PDR via cross border trade of poultry and products.

AI FINAL FAO PRESS RELEASE.pdf (114.64 kb)

Last week visitors at the Shanghai World Expo had the chance to familiarize themselves with the importance of edible insects culturally and nutritionally for Lao PDR. Three representatives for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) together with the chef of Sticky Fingers restaurant, Sisouphanh Ocampo, who won the “SAEP LAAI LAAI! 2010 – A Celebration of the Delicious Lao Insect” cooking competition with his Insect Tacos, and Ms Aluna Thavonsouk, Official Media Star of the Event, represented FAO at the Shanghai Expo. The team presented the project “Sustainable insect farming and harvesting for better nutrition, improved food security, and household income generation” for the World Expo visitors from 19 to 22 September 2010 at the UN Pavilion.

Press release Shanghai World Expo.pdf (117.73 kb)

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) together with the Department of Personnel of the Ministry of Health (lead agency) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry have joined forces to discuss and agree on a national plan for capacity building for food and nutrition security in Lao PDR.

Around  40 staff involved in planning, program implementation, monitoring and evaluation from the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), the Ministry of Education (MoE), and the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) as well as several development agencies, mass organizations and civil society organizations participated in the meeting in Vientiane Capital on Thursday. Read more

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organizes a national training course “Strengthening Food Import Inspection and Certification” in Vientiane Capital from 21 to 23 September 2010. The training started on Tuesday morning.

The aim with the three day training course is to strengthen the capacity of food inspectors that are working in Government food control institutions, by strengthening practical methods and techniques for inspection of imported and domestic foods in Lao PDR. Thirty food safety professionals from all provinces and Vientiane Capital, working daily on food inspection issues, are attending the training. Read more