Our Response Food Security means communities have a secure income, reliable production, access to markets, and that all family members eat healthy balanced diets. World Vision’s work is aimed at producing sustainable livelihoods, minimizing environmental destruction and maximizing use of fertile areas. World Vision partners with local government and communities to work towards developing sustainable agricultural practices and implement programs such as Food for Work, Food for Training, and school feeding, to reduce the burden of chronic household food deficits. Through these programs, it is our hope that communities will be able to achieve future self-sufficiency and be free from poverty. What are the challenges? Lao PDR is the poorest and least developed country in East Asia. More than 75% of the population lives on less than US$2 per day, and many households are unable to meet daily food requirements and satisfy basic human needs. Although there are signs that poverty levels are falling, poverty still remains widespread throughout Lao PDR. Poverty is particularly widespread in rural areas, and among ethnic groups inhabiting remote areas, the uneducated, and female household members. Agriculture is the mainstay of the national economy, and approximately 80% the population lives in rural areas. More than 83% of employed persons are dependent on subsistence agriculture for their survival. Consequently, household food consumption depends primarily on home production, and 93% of agricultural holdings are predominantly geared towards home consumption. Food insecurity issues are increased by low level of agricultural productivity and yield, particularly in upland areas. The situation is further compounded by the inability of farmers to purchase much needed inputs such as seeds and tools due to their lack of economic resources. Sticky (glutinous) rice is the staple food and predominant subsistence crop in Lao PDR. Rice is produced through the use of lowland farming techniques, while upland rice is produced under a slash and burn cultivation system, which can severely impact the environment by reducing the sustainability of fertile land. However people choose to grow rice, production is often insufficient to cover annual household needs. Households might experience rice deficiencies for up to eight to nine months a year, depending on annual climate patterns. Inadequate agricultural infrastructure also undermines productivity rates, and the lack of public infrastructure, such as roads, means that villagers are often unable to access health and other services, and markets in which to sell their produce. While people can make up for some of the deficiency with the consumption of non-timber forest products (NTFP) such as bamboo and wild vegetables, this option is narrowing as forests are coming under increasing stress from population increase and the growing sales of NTFP to other regions of Lao PDR. | 
