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From 26 to 28 June 2018, the project Biodiversity-based Products (BBP) as an Economic Source for the Improvement of Livelihoods and Biodiversity Protection conducted a 3-day Training of Trainers (ToT) on concepts and development of biodiversity value chains in Thalat, Lao PDR. Thirteen participants from the Department of Forestry (DoF)/Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), and the Luang Namtha Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office (PAFO) were invited by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) for this session. The ToT was conducted to strengthen awareness and knowledge on biodiversity value chains in general and bamboo value chain in the Lao context in particular. The BBP project aims at creating new jobs, and increase income and business opportunities for the rural population around protected areas through the design, facilita¬tion, and implementation of commercially viable biodiversity value chains, enhanced with a focus on biodiversity conservation and sustainable management. In Lao PDR, the BBP project is piloting the development of biodiversity-based value chains through the sustainable use of bamboo for furniture and handicraft by communities in the buffer zone of Nam Ha National Protected Area. The biodiversity value chain training module used for this session adopts an innovated version of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Value Links module which is riveted on the biodiversity conservation with practical application on biodiversity value chain mapping exercise. The ToT capped an 11-module training session that was conducted with multi-learning approaches consisting of lectures, guided discussion, and practical group exercises. The training was conducted in view of the MAF being the new project partner of the BBP Project in Lao PDR where it was previously under the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MONRE). It was also an important step in the capacity building approach that ACB is supporting for ASEAN Member States to ensure that partners acquire competencies in biodiversity value chain development, providing opportunities for economic development and biodiversity conservation at the same time. It is expected that the participants acquire a good understanding of the concepts of biodiversity-based value chains and equip themselves as facilitators and knowledge carriers with focus on the review, selection, and development of promotion strategies for further promotion of biodiversity-based value chains in Laos and other ASEAN Member States. Further training sessions and learning events will be provided for piloting partners in Vietnam and Cambodia, as well as for interested ASEAN Member States. NEL/BS Ed. Note: with two photos |
