Laos, Australia Celebrate 35 Years of Agricultural Partnership with New AUD 15 Million Investment

This Week

Laos and Australia mark a 35-year partnership in agricultural research, announcing a new AUD 15 million (USD 10.6 million) investment aimed at driving sustainable agricultural development and long-term food security across the country.

Since 1990, Australia, through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Australia’s specialist agricultural research-for-development agency investing in more sustainable, productive, and resilient agricultural systems across the Indo-Pacific, had collaborated with Lao ministries and academic institutions on over 150 projects, transforming local farming and tackling pressing challenges in forestry, fisheries, and disease-resistant crop production.

The newly announced funding would support six strategic initiatives over the next five years, covering sustainable forestry, climate-smart cropping, fisheries, policy development, poultry genetics, and digital market access for agricultural and cattle trades.

Lao Minister of Agriculture and Environment Linkham Douangsavanh said the collaboration would strengthen resilience, deepen bilateral ties, and ensure food security for all Lao people.

Dr Nick Austin, Acting ACIAR CEO, said that 35 years of partnership with Laos had demonstrated how sustained agricultural research, coupled with long-term investment in people, could deliver transformative change. He added that by building local research capability and nurturing the next generation of leaders, they were helping ensure innovation would continue well beyond individual projects and strengthen food security for decades to come.

People development had been central to the partnership’s success.

Over 50 Lao researchers completed Master’s and PhD degrees through ACIAR-supported programs at world-class universities. These graduates, including Dr Somwang Phimmavong, Deputy Director General of the Department of Forestry, now hold leadership roles across the nation’s agricultural sector in government, academia, and the private sector.

Laos and Australia celebrated the 35th anniversary of the partnership in Vientiane, where ACIAR, Australian scientists, and key Lao research collaborators received the Lao government’s highest recognition, the Cross of Friendship and Cross of Labour awards.

Latest article