The meeting was hold at NAFRI meeting room on 5/4/2019. There are 10 participants from NAFRI, DACE, UNCCD focal point, TABI and FAO.  The meeting was chair by Dr. Bounthong Bouahom, DG of NAFRI. The aims of the meeting is to present the results from desk study on policy, strategy, program to scaling up SLM in Laos. The desk study was conducted by Mr. Khamlouang Keoka is a national consultant.

The chairmen were remained on the overview of the project, updated the project activities and the important of this desk study. However, the chairmen leave some key messages to the meeting on how to scaling up SLM, which are a good SLM practice by smallholder farmers.

There are main questions are raised to all participants for discussion are following:

1. How the project concrete link to LDN activity? How to make balance of neutrality? Clarification of the LDN meaning? To ensure that all participants understand the same way. In case of Lao, the government is trying to increase the forest cover to make balance of neutrality.  And how to contribute to the positive side of LDN?
2. How the project can make use of government policy and get involve?
3. Which policy that link to SLM? How is link?

At the end of the meeting, the Chairman concluded with the challenge to coordinate with all different stakeholders and ask the expert group is there any mechanized?

• Create the platform such as sectoring working group to be chair by MAF minister and involving all policy makers from provincials. However, the most important is the content of working group, who will take lead of the platform.
• Present the results and update project activities to higher level regulary.
• Extension workers in Laos are free of charge. In this point, it would be good to consider for the payment of service, which is good incentive for extension worker. But the problem is farmers have no capacity to pay for extension service. Is this good time for us to think for the pay of extension service?
• Consideration to work closely with private sectors and try to get fund for community development. Example for the WWF keeps the money for fee for community. Mining and Hydropower Company reserve the fund for community. In this issue, how can we discuss with them to get that fund for community development.
• We have Publish Private Partnership model which is good but it would be better if we could include Publish Private Community Partnership model.

Also, Chairmen concluded that NAFRI want to pick up strong recommendations from all different case studies to inform policy makers for further consideration. Please consider making the strong policy recommendation! As we proud from our NAFRI team conducted the impact of banana plantation in Northern Laos and provide the strong recommendation to government to stop for banana investment in Northern Laos. At the end, the chairmen purposed for working platform as use the new term of institutional line platform to have often communication and update all the progress and looking forward to collaborate with UNCCD facial point.