Regional Communications Officer, Asia and the Pacific
[email protected]Vientiane, 05 February 2025. Officials of the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) met with government stakeholders and development partners on Tuesday to jointly review IFAD’s current strategy for the country and lay down the basis for future programs.
The Country Portfolio Review (CPR) meeting was led by Ambrosio Barros, IFAD Country Director, Lao PDR, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Chanthakhone Boualaphanh, and Bakhodir Burkhanov, UN Resident Coordinator, Lao PDR, along with IFAD staff, development partners, senior government officials and project stakeholders. IFAD has partnered with the government of Lao PDR since 1978 and co-funded 17 projects worth a total of about US$590 million.
The Deputy Minister thanked IFAD for providing financial assistance and technical support to Lao PDR, contributing to the goal and objectives of the 9th NSEDP (National Socio-Economic Development Plan) (2021-2025) as well as the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets.
“IFAD has been an important and trusted partner for the Government of Lao PDR to achieve our rural development goals. Discussions such as these are vital to enable IFAD and Lao PDR to gain a deeper understanding of how we can work better together to face the challenges that lie ahead, taking into account all achievements and lessons learnt in the past,” she said.
At the meeting, partners evaluated the impact of IFAD’s Country Strategic Opportunities Programme (COSOP) for Lao PDR, which lays out IFAD's strategic objectives and expected development results in the country over the medium term. IFAD is among those funding the Partnerships for Irrigation and Commercialization of Smallholder Agriculture (PICSA), which optimizes investments in irrigation infrastructure and catchment management by building market linkages in over 350 villages. IFAD also contributes to the Agriculture for Nutrition- Phase 2 (AFN II) project which builds on the success of a previous programme to encourage sustainable climate-resilient agriculture practices for higher incomes and better nutrition for rural families.
"IFAD is proud to partner with Lao PDR, investing in rural people to build a more prosperous nation. Through collaborative programmes, we are empowering communities to develop sustainable livelihoods and adapt to evolving challenges," said Ambrosio Barros. “We look forward to continuing our work with the Government of Lao PDR to channel innovative rural finance and climate-smart agriculture for a brighter future for the Lao people,” he added.
Over 60 per cent of people in Lao PDR live in rural areas, and many depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. Most farmers use traditional farming methods and lack access to functional irrigation and good roads. Many struggle to meet household food requirements, making malnutrition a critical issue. Malnutrition levels remain high, with a third of children under five years of age stunted, and 40 per cent of women found to be anaemic.
In the last 45 years, IFAD and the government have built social and economic infrastructure, such as rural access roads, small-scale irrigation systems and farmer nutrition centres reaching about 360,000 rural poor and near poor small-scale farmers at risk of food insecurity and malnutrition. Together, IFAD and the government have provided access to production inputs, rural finance, technical support, new technologies and farming practices. IFAD-funded projects have focused on creating jobs for young rural men and women, leading to increased incomes.
Read more about IFAD’s work in Lao PDR.
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Press release No.: IFAD/09/2025
IFAD is an international financial institution and a United Nations specialized agency. Based in Rome – the United Nations food and agriculture hub – IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have provided more than US$25 billion in grants and low-interest loans to fund projects in developing countries.
A wide range of photographs and broadcast-quality video content of IFAD’s work in rural communities are available for download from our Image Bank.
