The toxic landscape: LURAS discussion paper

The draft of this discussion paper generated a mixed response. While some experts – from both the government and development community – found the analysis persuasive, one or two others were unhappy that the paper made no mention of the work being done by their projects. The author would like to correct this oversight by mentioning the work of CCL, EFICAS, FAO, SAEDA, TABI and UDIN. The full names of these organisations or projects are not relevant to this analysis, but it is important to recognise that UN agencies, bilateral donors, and NGOs (both international and local) have all been supporting training in Xieng Khuang that is aimed at reducing the use of pesticides. The training goes under various names, including ‘safe-use’, ‘risk reduction’, ‘integrated pest management’ and ‘promotion of organic farming’.