EDC, ACDI/VOCA and SNV recently organized a workshop at the Settha Palace hotel on the 27th and 28th of May, focusing on enhancing staple crop value chains and cross-border trade in Lao PDR.  ACDI/VOCA, represented by Ms. Janice Stallard (Senior Technical Director – Enterprise Development – Washington DC) and Mr. Adam Keatts (Regional Director – South-East Asia), along with Mr. Wanna Lassamee from EDC conducted an assessment of the staple crop sector in Oudomxay province before attending the workshop.

During the workshop presentations were made by ACDI/VOCA on the consequences and lessons learned from the 2008 global food price crisis, gave an overview of their value chain approach and presented the findings of the study in Oudomxay. Read the rest of this entry »

As part of the young staff development process, EDC fully support staff for further study.  Big congratulation to Anousak Chaysavang, who has just successfully passed his exam on German language, which is a compulsory criterion for his attendance in a 12-month Young Leadership Training Program in Germany.   Read the rest of this entry »

It’s everybody’s dream! Creating an economy is like leading a crowd to do what you intended them to do. Take a band: Black Eyed Peas; to a place: Chicago and its skylines; for a good cause: Oprah; and a group of like minded citizens; Chicagoans. See how it all happened.

What a great energizer! But, where is the leader here? How was the orchestration process? Can it be repeated? What are the lessons for the leaders of today? How about management?

Fair Trade is a growing market and offers both opportunities and challenges for the Lao producers. This was the message conveyed during a seminar on Fair trade, organised by the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI) in Lane Xang Hotel last September 9, 2009. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SADC), the Royal Dutch Embassy and Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) co-sponsored the event.

The Fair Trade concept was primarily developed to fight poverty by creating just, honest and transparent trade agreements between producers and buyers. With Fair Trade certification, consumers are assured of buying products and services that have been produced or delivered under fair conditions. Fair Trade principles complement the current policies of the Government of Laos to promote more value adding initiatives and investments in the country.

Sales of Fair Trade products are 70 times larger than ten years ago. Sales of products carrying the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) or the Fair Trade Labelling Organisations (FLO) marks are specially booming. In 2007, certified products sales were €2.381million (46% up from 2006), and non-certified products added up to €265 million (7% up from 2006). Popular products having the Fair Trade marks include coffee, tea, cocoa and cotton. Read the rest of this entry »

Website Training has been conducted for Lao SMFEs participating by numerous companies, NGOs and Government sectors, inclusive WWF, SNV, NAFRI, LHA, Danlao Rattan Company, Soubin Rattan Company, Vanvisa Villa and Guesthouse, Bamboo Trader Association and Producer group and Na yang village. Participants had learnt how to up-load information and photo to the web, as well as how to keep their website up-date.