New report on digital finance and farming in Laos

For the past two years, Finthropology has been collaborating on research on digital finance and smallholder farmers in Laos and Cambodia. This ACIAR-funded project aims to build an evidence base for the impact of digital financial services. It is based at Western Sydney University, and includes research partners at the University of Adelaide, the Royal University of Phnom Penh and the National University of Laos.

In preparation for data collection, our team undertook desk research to map the ecosystem for the financial inclusion of smallholder farmers in Laos. We are pleased to announce the launch of a new report, The Financial Ecosystem for Smallholder Farming Households in Lao PDR, by Erin B. Taylor, Isaac Lyne, Salika Onsy, Daovy Kongmanila and Khamtou Kanyavong. The report maps the financial ecosystem for smallholder farmers in Laos, including:

• The current state of the financial ecosystem in Laos (digital and non-digital)

• The stakeholders present in this system (companies, not-for-profits, government, etc.)

• The products, programs, and policies currently being offered to smallholder farmers

We explore how stakeholders in Laos work together to improve financial services for smallholder farmers, while mitigating the risks brought about by digital delivery of financial services. We also identify areas of opportunity for services and collaboration between ecosystem actors, together with ideas for further research.

The report is free to download. We welcome your feedback! Later this year we will be publishing a simila report on Cambodia.