Partnership Increases Productivity and Profits in the Lao PDR

The natural resources of Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) have been experiencing severe pressure from unsustainable farming practices coupled with a surge in foreign agricultural investments. Without proper intervention, Lao PDR’s environment and natural resources will no longer be sustainable and hundreds of marginalized communities in the country will be pushed further into poverty.

Sununtar Setboonsarng

Sununtar works on empowering the poor, particularly women farmers, to become key actors in improving food safety and nutrition, water quality, mitigating and reversing climate change, and achieving the SDGs. With extensive country experience in sustainable and climate-friendly agriculture and bioenergy development, she joined ADB in 2000 as a poverty reduction specialist, and was seconded to the ADBI Institute in Tokyo from 2003 to 2008.

Scott Rozelle

Scott Rozelle is professor and senior fellow in the Freeman Spogli Institute of International Studies in Stanford University. He codirects the Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions. His work focuses mostly on many aspects of rural China's economy. He has received many awards from China's government and is an adjunct professor and 10 different Chinese universities.

Yasmin Siddiqi

Ms. Yasmin Siddiqi is a chartered civil engineer (UK) and has a post graduate degree in irrigation engineering (UK). She has over 20 years of experience in water resources management, irrigation, knowledge management and leading teams at Asian Development Bank (ADB). She is currently the operational director for agriculture and natural resources in the Central and West Asia Department of ADB.