Sustainable Development in the Plantation Industry in Laos: An Examination of the RoleC Role of the Ministry of Planning and Investment

This research paper examines the rapid growth of the plantation industry in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, driven by overseas investment, and analyzes the role of the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) in managing the environmental and social impacts of this sector.

• The Government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic views the agricultural and plantation industries as primary tools for poverty alleviation and improving living standards, but a 2007 national land management meeting found that numerous concessions have caused significant negative impacts. These include deforestation, biodiversity loss, soil degradation from chemical use, and the loss of traditional livelihoods and cultures. Consequently, the government has suspended new land concessions exceeding 100 hectares to protect natural resources.
• Planning efforts in the plantation sector are hindered by a lack of centralized data. Information regarding the size, location, and types of plantations and investors is dispersed across agencies, and data on provincial-level projects is often unavailable at the national level. Specifically, the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) does not hold total plantation investment data, leaving the overall scope of investment unclear.
• Although the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) is the primary agency for investment decision-making, it has played a minor role in addressing environmental and social issues, which are currently delegated to other ministries. This has resulted in poor coordination, a lack of internal capacity and financial resources within the MPI to handle environmental concerns, and the absence of a monitoring and evaluation function to integrate these issues into decision-making.
• To improve sustainable development, the paper recommends that the MPI strengthen collaboration via an inter- and intra-agency environmental working group and establish an environmental monitoring and evaluation system at central and local levels. It also suggests creating an environmental information and data center at the National Land Management Authority or the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to make investment and land allocation data available to researchers and decision-makers.

APA

IUCN,, S. V. (2009). Sustainable Development in the Plantation Industry in Laos: An Examination of the RoleC Role of the Ministry of Planning and Investment. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/sustainable-development-plantation-industry-laos-examination-role-ministry

Chicago

IUCN,, Saykham Voladet,. Sustainable Development in the Plantation Industry in Laos: An Examination of the RoleC Role of the Ministry of Planning and Investment. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2009. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/sustainable-development-plantation-industry-laos-examination-role-ministry.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=IUCN, |first1=Saykham Voladet, |title=Sustainable Development in the Plantation Industry in Laos: An Examination of the RoleC Role of the Ministry of Planning and Investment |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=6 March 2009 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/sustainable-development-plantation-industry-laos-examination-role-ministry |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{iucn2009sustainable, author = {IUCN,, Saykham Voladet,}, title = {{Sustainable Development in the Plantation Industry in Laos: An Examination of the RoleC Role of the Ministry of Planning and Investment}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2009}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/sustainable-development-plantation-industry-laos-examination-role-ministry}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }