LURAS young tea experts presenting the tea ©️ Bart Verweij.

Unlocking the potential of ancient tea forests, award-winning coffee, and young farmers
LURAS celebrates 11 years strengthening upland rural advisory services in Laos

A decade ago, farmers in the remote uplands of Xiengkhouang sold their coffee cherries for whatever local traders would pay. Today, beans from the same villages carry a Great Taste Award from the United Kingdom, and the farmers who grew them helped design the trading contracts. That shift captures what the Lao Upland Rural Advisory Services (LURAS) project set out to do.
Mandated by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by Helvetas with the Department of Agricultural Extension and Cooperatives (DAEC), LURAS held its closure event in Vientiane on 26 May, bringing together farmers, government officials, rural entrepreneurs, and international partners to mark 11 years of work across Xiengkhouang, Oudomxay, Huaphan, and Luang Prabang.
The opening remarks were delivered by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment, Dr Chanthakhone Boualaphan, Regional Director of SDC in the Mekong Region, Mr Jean-Gabriel Duss, and Helvetas Laos Country Director, Mr Jesper Lauridsen.
In her speech, the Deputy Minister acknowledged that: ‘The achievements we recognise today are not only reflected in completed activities and outputs, but also in the strengthened capacities of extension staff, farmer organisations, cooperatives, and local institutions.’

LURAS closeout event©️ Bart Verweij.

Since 2015, LURAS has transformed agricultural extension in Laos by shifting from top-down advice to a Green Extension approach that empowers farmers to identify challenges, test solutions, and share knowledge within their communities.
In its final phase, LURAS strengthened climate resilience through the Climate Resilient Extension Development (CRED) methodology, piloted in 46 communities and reached nearly 28,000 people across four provinces. DAEC and extension staff built the capacity to apply the approach independently, while Climate Youth Ambassadors emerged as local change agents. Over 70 percent of households adapted to their farming practices, and land-use planning awareness rose from 32 percent to 47 percent. Thirty-three community-managed facilities remain a long-lasting legacy.
Tea and coffee tastings highlighted one of LURAS’ most tangible achievements. In Xiengkhouang, Coffee Learning Centers and private partnerships enabled farmers to process their own beans, secure fair contracts, and increase incomes — with Comma Coffee earning a Great Taste Award in the UK in 2025. In the tea sector, LURAS supported mapping of ancient tea forests and collaboration with Chinese experts to boost quality and exports. Five permanent Learning Centers now serve as hubs for knowledge sharing and market engagement.
“LURAS brought a tea expert from Pu’er to share advanced techniques in specialty tea production and processing. It really helped us refine our skills and understanding of what quality the market needs,” said head of the tea cooperative, Ban Phone, Xiengkhouang, Mr Thongsouk,
Upland farming communities in Laos are young — and LURAS made a deliberate bet on their potential. Through initiatives such as Young Tea Experts, Climate Youth Ambassadors, and the AGREE programme, young women and men across four provinces gained the skills, knowledge, and startup support to build futures in agriculture. Of the 273 AGREE participants, more than 80 percent now farm as their main profession, and 75 percent of their businesses are still active today. Increasingly, these young farmers and entrepreneurs are emerging as role models within their own communities.
Twenty years ago, smallholder farmers in Laos had no national voice. Today, the Lao Farmers Association — officially registered in 2025 and representing more than 254 farmer groups — sits at the national policy table. Its existence stands as one of the clearest signs of lasting change.
“This partnership began with a simple yet ambitious vision: ‘Extension for Everyone.’ Our goal was to reach the entire country and strengthen public extension services across Laos. But we learned that equal reach does not always mean equitable impact—those most in need can still be left behind. That realisation led us to adapt and LURAS became our response, focusing on poverty-affected upland provinces, prioritising climate resilience, and advancing Green Extension,” said Regional Director, SDC Mekong region, Jean-Gabriel Duss.
This close-out event marks the end of the LURAS project — but the farmers, extension workers, young agripreneurs, and farmer associations it leaves behind are its most enduring result.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update May 27, 2026)