Encouraging better land use practices among agricultural businesses in Laos | Land Portal
Encouraging better land use practices among agricultural businesses in Laos
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Resource information

Date of publication: 
October 2019
Resource Language: 
Pages: 
12

For more than a decade, the government of Lao PDR has promoted commercial uses of agricultural land by private investors. While investment in land has enormous potential to promote Laos’ economic development, benefits have been unevenly distributed across society. Some business practices affecting land use have also been associated with displacement, environmental degradation and land disputes. Since 2015, the GIZ Land Programme in Laos has  supported the Ministry of Planning and Investment and local authorities in better managing agricultural investments, as part of its bilateral project Land Management and Decentralised Planning (LMDP) and since 2017 as part of the Global Project on Responsible Land Policy. The programme supports authorities in systematically monitoring investments and following up on commitments that all sides agree on. For this, the government uses digital rating tools and a list of quality criteria developed with the support of the programme. The aim is to create a more regular exchange of feedback between investors, involved communities and local authorities and improve oversight. These are expected to lead to investments that benefit local development more. The Land Programme has developed three Stories of Change to illustrate how effective its support has been in the area of Quality Investment Promotion, the other complex factors influencing land-based investments and the challenges encountered. The case of Niphonsub Tea Company illustrates the opportunities and limits of supporting a small business that  already has a low impact on the environment. Comparing its relatively low monitoring score – indicating non-compliance with good practice and regulations – to larger and better equipped companies gives us a skewed image of how well the business is performing in reality.

Authors and Publishers

Author(s), editor(s), contributor(s): 

GIZ Global Project Responsible Land Policy; GIZ Project Land Management and Decentralised Planning (LMDP)

Corporate Author(s): 
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As a service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education work, we are dedicated to shaping a future worth living around the world. We have over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment promotion, energy and the environment, and peace and security. The diverse expertise of our federal enterprise is in demand around the globe – from the German Government, European Union institutions, the United Nations, the private sector, and governments of other countries.

Publisher(s): 
GIZ logo

As a service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education work, we are dedicated to shaping a future worth living around the world. We have over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment promotion, energy and the environment, and peace and security. The diverse expertise of our federal enterprise is in demand around the globe – from the German Government, European Union institutions, the United Nations, the private sector, and governments of other countries.

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