Rubber prices in northern Laos have fallen significantly over the last few years, eroding much of the initial enthusiasm of both farmers and government officials about rubber providing a way out of poverty for poor upland farmers. This thematic study examines responses to this price drop by Lao rubber growers and state institutions in northern Laos. It also examines the reasons that prices are what they are, given that price volatility was identified as a risk during the mid-2000s, and that in at least some cases, steps were taken to protect contract farmers from falling prices.

This report first reviews how inequality in land distribution has reached extreme levels in Colombia. Then  it  analyzes  the  problem  of concentration of land from different perspectives and indicators based on the agricultural census data from 2016, focusing on the major differences between the extremes.