The ILO organized a Think.COOP training programme in Paksong, Champasack province, Lao PDR for tea and coffee farmer groups and staff from Attapeu Department of Industry and Commerce.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is working with members of cooperatives and farmer groups in Lao People's Democratic Republic to support the more effective development and operation of cooperatives.

A Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop was held in collaboration with the Lao Coffee Association between 27 April and 28 April 2023 in Paksong, Champasack province.

In all, 28 participants from tea and coffee farmer and cooperative groups, the Bolaven Plateau Coffee Producers Cooperative and the Attapeu Department of Industry and Commerce took part.

They were joined by representatives from the German Cooperative and Raiffeisen Confederation (DGRV Laos) and the Cooperative Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forest, who provided information on cooperative practice and registration laws in the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

The training, using the ILO’s Think.COOP toolkit , provided participants with a better understanding of the importance and role of cooperatives and production groups. The participants also learned facilitating skills, especially how to apply ILO’s activity-based peer learning approach, using the easy-to-use Think.COOP tools.

"The participants were eager to learn as they want to support other members and grow even stronger as cooperatives and farmer groups,” said Anousone Sosenginh, National Project Coordinator, ILO.

“Coffee producers, farmers and cooperatives are important sources of income in their areas. I believe that building local capacity is key to more sustainable development in the community,” Ms Sosenginh added.

The training was conducted under the ILO-Japan Reduced vulnerability of returnee migrant workers through linkages to employment opportunities and integration into local economic development in response to COVID-19 project and the Building Youth Capacity and Network in Asia Pacific project, also funded by the Government of Japan.