Recommendations

Based on the findings of the CFVSA [1], WFP Lao PDR has concluded that food insecurity in Lao PDR has many causes which can only be adequately addressed through a multi-sector approach. Household food security is linked with education, hygiene and nutrition, the physical infrastructure, and the agricultural and environmental sector. However, stand-alone interventions within these sectors will have a limited effect unless the overall policy environment is favorable to food security. Therefore, it is not sufficient to focus on poverty reduction. Food insecurity and malnutrition need to be explicitly addressed.

The below figure illustrates that the policy environment is central to all efforts at addressing food insecurity, since it may facilitate and enhance interventions in any given sector. Poor education is often causing food insecurity and malnutrition. Agricultural production and the environment are vital both as a source of income and food. Improving the rural physical infrastructure will also positively affect food security.

Figure: Framework for Responses to Improve Food and Nutrition Security in Lao PDR

Source: WFP Lao PDR, CFSVA Community Survey, 2006

Efforts in all these sectors, within a policy environment that puts food security at centre stage, will be necessary to start reducing the alarming levels of chronic malnutrition among Lao children and providing food security for all.

General policy recommendations are given below. These are followed by recommendations within the sectors of hygiene/nutrition, education, agriculture/environment and physical infrastructure. Lastly, recommendations are provided on food security monitoring to keep track of progress and inform decision makers about potential threats. Wherever possible, potential key partners or stakeholders, who should have a key role in addressing the recommendation in question, are identified.

General Policy Recommendations

The following high-level policy initiatives are recommended in order to create a favorable environment to address food insecurity:

Cause of the intervention	Type of intervention	Primary target groups	Ministries/agencies
The high levels of chronic malnutrition are not adequately reflected in the latest national poverty eradication strategies	1. Addressing malnutrition should be priority	Decision-makers in the Government of Lao PDR, donor agencies, UN agencies and other stakeholders	Government of Lao PDR, UNICEF, WFP, FAO, donor agencies
Intake of fat and protein is more important than caloric intake. Quality of the diet rather than availability of rice is the key food security issue in Lao PDR.	2. Expanding food security concepts including awareness on food utilization and dietary quality	Decision makers in the Government of Lao PDR and all stakeholders involved in food security in general, and in particular people responsible for developing the National Nutrition Policy	Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, WFP, FAO, UNICEF
Links to food security need to be clearly defined in relevant sectoral policies and their implementation plans.	3. Monitoring the impact of sectoral policies on food security	Decision makers in the Government of Lao PDR and all stakeholders involved in food security	Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Planning and Investment, National Commission for Mother and Child, National Food Security Committee, FAO, WFP
Differences in food security, nutrition, education, land access, etc. exist between ethnic groups	4. Address chronic disadvantages among ethnic groups	Hmong-Mien, Sino-Tibetan and Austro-Asiatic groups	WFP, FAO, UNICEF, Government of Lao PDR and other partners
Strong indications that resettlement may cause temporary food insecurity	5. Dialogue on the implementation of the resettlement policy	In situ sustainable development in the uplands and support to relocating villagers	Government of Lao PDR, UN, donors and partners

Recommendations on Hygiene and Nutrition Factors

The analysis led to the following recommendations on hygiene and nutrition.

Cause of the intervention	Type of intervention	Primary target groups	Ministries/agencies
The rural population should be better informed about the need to consume fats and proteins	6. General education campaign on nutrition and food consumption	Country	Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, mass organizations, FAO, WFP, UNICEF, NGOs
Households with poor food consumption show very low intake of fat and protein, and are thus very vulnerable to shocks to their access to food	7. Include sources of fat and protein (such as vegetable oil, canned fish and/or pulses) in emergency relief and recovery food baskets	WFP beneficiaries	WFP
Access to and use of sanitation facilities is very low throughout the country.	8. Build improved sanitation facilities and provide information on how to use them	All rural areas	Ministry of Health, UNICEF, NGOs
The quality of the water, rather than access to water, is a major food security threat.	9. Build and provide protected sources of water	All rural areas	Ministry of Health, UNICEF, WFP, ADB/WB

Recommendations on Education

The analysis led to the following recommendations on education.

Cause of the intervention	Type of intervention	Primary target groups	Ministries/agencies
Food insecure households are often also uneducated and illiterate.	10. Continuation of country-wide programme to bring education and literacy to all people	Country	Ministry of Education, mass organizations, UNICEF
The non-Lao-Tai ethnic groups are disadvantaged with regard to education.	11. Special programme in bringing non-Lao-Tai ethnic children to school. WFP school feeding programmes to prioritize these children	Non-Lao-Tai School children	Ministry of Education, UNICEF, WFP
Across all ethnic groups and provinces, women are lagging behind in literacy and education. This puts them at a disadvantage in ensuring food security for themselves and their families.	12. Provide basic adult literacy classes for illiterate women	Rural women in the Northern provinces and other provinces where the gender gap is particularly big	Ministry of Education (Non-Formal Education Department and the Non-Formal Education Centre), UNICEF, WFP, NGOs

Recommendations on Agricultural and the Environment

The analysis led to the following recommendations on agricultural and the environment.

Cause of the intervention	Type of intervention	Primary target groups	Ministries/agencies
Meat and fish from hunting and fishing are the most important sources of fat and protein in the Lao diet. These wild sources are under threat partly due to competing demands on the forests, and population movements away from these sources.	13. Sustainable management of wildlife and aquatic food resources in accordance with Lao forest, wildlife and environmental laws and promote nutrition friendly agriculture forestry, and water management	District and provincial authorities	Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Water Resource and Environment Administration, National Land Management Authority, Ministry of Energy and Mining, Ministry of Planning and Investment, UN, NGOs
There are large inequalities in access to and ownership of land, and the non-Lao-Tai ethnic groups are disadvantaged.	14. FFW programmes that focus on creating access to land through paddy expansion should ensure that all ethnic groups benefit from these programmes	Non-Lao-Tai rural households	Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, WFP
Households with kitchen gardens tend to be more food secure. Kitchen gardens may provide vital nutritious vegetables.	15. Promote programmes that encourage and facilitate development of kitchen gardens	All rural households	Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, FAO, WFP, NGOs
The agricultural-based livelihood systems in the uplands in all parts of the country are more vulnerable to food insecurity than households living in the lowlands.	16. Promote alternative development programmes in the uplands	Remote villages in the uplands	Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, UN, NGOs

Recommendations on Physical Infrastructure

The analysis led to the following recommendations on physical infrastructure and food markets.

Cause of the intervention	Type of intervention	Primary target groups	Ministries/agencies
Many rural villages struggling with food insecurity also lack infrastructure such as roads, schools and health centres.	17. Rural infrastructure development, especially in areas with high food insecurity	Remote rural villages	Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Ministry of Communication, Transport, Post and Construction, Poverty Reduction Fund, WB/ADB, WFP
There is a need to improve local rice production and marketing. There is little evidence that local rice purchases by food aid agencies will distort markets. It is unlikely that rice or other commodities purchased from food surplus areas would otherwise be accessible to vulnerable groups in food deficit areas.	18. Local purchases of rice and/or other commodities by food aid agencies	Food Aid Agencies, small scale commercial farmers	WFP, NGOs
There are still many food insecure villages without access to roads. This limits farmers’ abilities to sell and purchase commodities at markets.	19. Road construction through FFW	Remote food insecure villages without road access	Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, WFP
UXO contamination still limits the access to potentially productive land	20. UXO clearance of potentially productive land	Food insecure villages in UXO contaminated areas	WFP, UXO Lao, other UXO clearing agencies

Recommendations for Food Security Monitoring

The analysis led to the following recommendations on food security monitoring.

Cause of the intervention	Type of intervention	Primary target groups	Ministries/agencies
Food insecurity needs to be better monitored.	21. Further develop the established FIVIMS structure	Decision-makers in the Government of Lao PDR and Donor/UN agencies	Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of Health, FAO, WFP
Monitoring household food security will also improve understanding of seasonal food insecurity patterns.	22. Regular monitoring of household food insecurity across regions and seasons	Decision-makers in the Government of Lao PDR and Donor/UN agencies	Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, FAO, WFP
Impact on food security of extensive plantations (especially rubber) are likely to be significant and are not understood	23. Monitor the impact on livelihoods of extensive plantations in the uplands especially rubber trees	Decision makers in the Government of Lao PDR and all stakeholders involved in food security	Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, National Food Security Committee, National Land Management Authority, Ministry of Planning and Investment, FAO, WFP, NGOs
The impact of transition in the agricultural sector on livelihood strategies and food security is not well known	24. Monitor the impact of transitions in the agricultural sector on food security	Decision makers in the Government of Lao PDR and all stakeholders involved in food security	Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, National Food Security Committee, FAO, WFP, NGOs
Cross-border trade, particularly of rice, influences food security.	25. Monitor cross-border trade of specific food commodities such as rice and maize to track trade along key borders	Decision-makers in the Government of Lao PDR and Donor/UN agencies	Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, FAO, WFP
Trade in rice within the country is not well integrated, as there is no smooth flow of surplus production to deficit areas.	26. Initiate market studies on rice trade within the country	Decision-makers in the Government of Lao PDR and Donor/UN agencies	Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, FAO, WFP, Donors
It is important to better understand where there are rice shortages and food insecurity.	27. Set up rice price monitoring system	Decision-makers in the Government of Lao PDR and Donor/UN agencies	Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, FAO, WFP, Donor agencies

Follow-Up

The implementation and effects of these recommendations should be evaluated before the end of 2011, five years after the current CFSVA. WFP should commission this evaluation. The evaluation will provide direction in the actions against food insecurity and identify areas that will need enhanced priority. The evaluation could be a CFSVA with a review of the recommendations provided in this document.

[1] Lao PDR: Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis (CFSVA), December 2007, WFP Lao PDR, Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping Branch