Press Release – The Ambassador of Ireland to Laos, Deirdre Ní Fhallúin, announced on 16 May Ireland’s funding of EUR 400,000 (approximately USD 432,000) to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) in support of a project aimed at enhancing food and nutrition security and promoting climate-resilient farming practices in Laos, with a strong focus on empowering women in agriculture.
The newly announced funding will directly benefit 25 climate-vulnerable communities and an estimated 1,000 women farmers across the northern provinces of Oudomxay, Houaphanh, and Xiengkhouang. The project is being implemented in close collaboration with the Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, as well as provincial and district-level departments and extension services.
This initiative aims to assist farmers and rural households, particularly women, youth, and ethnic groups, in addressing pressing challenges such as food insecurity, malnutrition, and poverty.
It will do so by increasing access to diverse and nutritious food, strengthening the resilience of women farmers through the promotion of climate-smart agriculture and community-based disaster risk management, and improving financial inclusion through the provision of grants that support women in developing and expanding local agricultural production.
This project reflects Ireland’s continued commitment to supporting the Government of Laos in achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 on ending hunger, achieving food security, and improving nutrition and sustainable agriculture, as well as SDG 13 on climate action.
“Ireland prioritizes support for climate adaptation and resilience as part of our development cooperation approach in South East Asia, particularly in countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change,” Ambassador Ní Fhallúin said. “This project, in collaboration with the WFP and funded through the Embassy of Ireland in Hanoi, reflects Ireland’s commitment to climate action and delivering sustainable development. We are particularly glad to be supporting rural women farmers through this project, as they play a critical role in food production and household nutrition across Laos.”
Marc-André Prost, WFP Representative to Laos, welcomed Ireland’s contribution and highlighted the project’s importance in strengthening vulnerable communities’ ability to adapt to climate-related challenges.
“Climate change is already affecting food production and livelihoods across many communities in Laos. This project supports innovative and locally adapted approaches to help communities not just survive, but thrive in the face of these challenges,” Prost said. “Through this program, we are helping some of the most vulnerable communities in the country adapt to climate change. Our collaboration with Ireland and with the Government of Laos highlights the importance of addressing the simultaneous challenges of poverty, gender inequality and climate change, impacting the lives of many families in this area.”
Ireland has been a development partner to Laos since 2006, with programs focusing on humanitarian mine action, food security, education, and nutrition. Under the Embassy of Ireland’s Mission Strategy 2023–2027, Ireland has scaled up its development cooperation in the country, aiming to deepen its impact and support additional priority areas, including climate action and governance.
