Lao: Farmers' Clubs improve climate resilience and nutrition

18-10-2022

Humana Fundación Pueblo para Pueblo in a consortium with Health Poverty Action, and the Khammouane Provincial Health Office, has successfully completed the implementation of a Food Security and Nutrition project with 5,000 farmer families in 100 villages of Khammouane Province. The project was funded by the European Union, and has been extended in 2021-22 in two of the six districts with additional funding.

The Farmers' Clubs are the basic project structure through which activities are implemented. The overall objectives of Farmers' Clubs are to further sustainable and climate smart production, to improve families’ nutrition through a balanced diet, to increase farmers’ wealth and to create a crop surplus for sale.

In their groups, farmers learn how to increase their yields, diversify their crops, work together more effectively, bargain as a collective, and support each other. They meet once a fortnight to discuss progress and issues, and to receive training.

Through close collaboration and new learning, the farmers make great progress.
The perspective is that Farmers' Clubs evolve to become self-sustaining in mutually supportive networks of farmers which last beyond project completion.

Core activities include:

  • Establishment of demonstration plots for crops farming and vegetable production (1
  • per Farmers' Club)
  • Training on climate-smart agriculture and other sustainable agricultural practices
  • Establishment of 10 seed banks
  • Adoption of small-scale water systems for irrigation
  • Training of Trainers on SRI methodologies
  • Training in animal husbandry and set-up of animal pass-on-loan schemes
  • Introduction of innovative techniques of food processing, preparation and storage
  • Creation and training of 6 cooperatives (1 per district)

Farmers’ Clubs in main figures:

  • 5,000 members engaged
  • 500 Step-up farmers trained
  • 500 Administrative committees formed
  • 121 demonstration plots set up
  • 16 types of vegetables and 7 types of fruit trees introduced and tested
  • 4,155 home gardens established
  • 102 village veterinary workers equipped and trained
  • 4,332 farmers have received 17,964 animals as pass-on loan
  • 109 village irrigation systems installed

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