A funding agreement was signed between the Lao and French governments on 6 March. The agreement concerns a project to support the tea value chain in Laos. The budget allocated by Agence française de développement (AFD) for the funding of this future project will be 1.5 million euros.
GRET, in partnership with AVSF (Agronomists and veterinarians without borders – project leader) and Lao Consulting Group (LCG), will support the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests with project implementation. The objective of this three-year project is to structure the country’s emerging tea value chain in a sustainable, inclusive manner. To do this, actions will be conducted to define and implement strategic objectives jointly with all stakeholders working in this value chain. In addition, pilot initiatives will be supported in two districts in the north of Laos in order to strengthen organisation of producers. Tea production and processing will also be improved, and new market outlets will be developed via certification systems such as fair trade.
