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There is general agreement that agricultural development will be crucial to successful implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The challenge for the agricultural sector lies not just in increasing productivity to feed a growing population, but in promoting agricultural development such that it supports rural development in an intact environment while contributing global environmental services. In this respect, multifunctional agriculture is a promising way forward. This concept goes beyond the provision of food, fodder, fibres, and biofuels: It addresses other agricultural functions as well, such as environmental protection, landscape preservation, employment, and public health, and it also takes into account the important role that agriculture plays in preserving local cultures and traditions.

For a long time, agricultural policies and agricultural research focused mainly on increasing productivity by means of technical innovations. Advancements were made in the fields of seeds, animal breeding, soil fertility, and irrigation, among others. This major worldwide effort-known as the Green Revolution-more than doubled global food production within 30 years. More recently, these developments have been followed by other fundamental changes in the agricultural system, including in the Lao PDR. Their main driver is the increasing globalization of agriculture and food systems. Developments like trade liberalization, foreign direct investments, and urbanization are changing agricultural structures and markets at an unprecedented speed. While increasingly globalized agriculture provides new opportunities, including …