This publication aims to provide practical guidance for government officials in improving their skills related to agriculture extension service provisions to large-scale agricultural investments. It is meant to be used along with the full version of the manual as well as with the RGIL “Introductory Manual on responsible land-based investments for Governments”.

ການວາງແຜນນຳໃຊ້ທີ່ດິນມີປະຫວັດຄວາມເປັນມາອັນຍາວນານໃນ ສປປ ລາວ ແລະ ໄດ້ຖືກນຳໃຊ້ຜ່ານຫຼາຍຮູບແບບໃນທົ່ວປະເທດຕັ້ງແຕ່ຊຸມປີ 1990 (Ling, 2017). ການວາງແຜນນໍາໃຊ້ທີ່ດິນສາມາດສ້າງເງື່ອນໄຂເບື້ອງຕົ້ນທີ່ຈໍາເປັນ ເພື່ອບັນລຸການນໍາໃຊ້ທີ່ດິນແບບມີຄວາມຍືນຍົງທາງດ້ານສິ່ງແວດລ້ອມ, ມີຄວາມເປັນທຳຕໍ່ສັງຄົມ ແລະ ມີເສດຖະກິດທີ່ເຂັ້ມແຂງ ແລະ ໜ້າເພິ່ງພໍໃຈ (Pickardt & Wehrmann, 2011).

With around 7.4 million inhabitants, Laos is relatively sparsely populated. Over 70% of Laotians depend directly or indirectly on agriculture and forestry for their living. To drive forward the country’s development, the Lao Government is investing in agriculture and forestry, mining, and hydropower. Until now, the rural population has derived limited benefit from this practice and is often not familiar with the legal frameworks governing land, nor the relevant institutions and processes that ensure their land rights.

Laos plans to graduate from least developed country status by 2024. To spur economic growth, the Lao government builds on a resource-based export economy, major mining projects, the constructions of dams, and the expansion of plantation agriculture. A key focus is the promotion of foreign direct investment in agriculture and forestry, to promote technology transfer for intensification of the agricultural sector and thus employment and income for the rural population. However, agriculture and forestry investment projects are placing growing pressure on land as a resource.

The Global Programme Responsible Land Policy (GPRLP), launched in November 2015, is based on the assumption that secure land rights can

➊ improve food security and foster investment,
➋ lead to sustainable land use,
➌ reduce conflicts and
➍ improve women’s access to land as well as that of marginalized groups.