1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Luang Prabang
Region
Asia
Short description of the intervention
In 2005, local farmers in the sub-urban area of Luang Prabang combined their lands and founded The Living Land Farm, a rice farming community that runs an organic farm and an educational centre. The farm comprises of rice fields, vegetable gardens, homestay, and a restaurant. The aim of the farm is to preserve traditional rice-growing techniques, practice organic farming while also adopting new ways of grain selection and planting, and share rice farming knowledge with others. The products from the farm have been used in the local restaurant and are distributed to hotels and other restaurants in Luang Prabang city. The farm also serves as a training site for students of the Northern College of Agriculture and it offers ‘Rice Experience’ package for anyone who would like to learn about rice growing and the local Laos culture. The homestay and restaurant are run by local people of the village nearby and they are open to the public. The farm supports various community projects, such as village improvement and teaching English for local children. (Ref. 1,2,3)
Address

Khuangsi Water Fall Road, Ban Phong Van Village
0600
Luang Prabang
Laos

Area boundary
POINT (102.103244 19.859891)
POINT (102.102869 19.858468)
POINT (102.102418 19.85755)
POINT (102.10392 19.855754)
POINT (102.107418 19.856934)
POINT (102.106656 19.858266)
POINT (102.105819 19.858498)
POINT (102.103963 19.858983)
POINT (102.104006 19.859538)
Total area
80000.00m²
NBS area
80000.00m²
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2005
Present stage of the intervention
Goals of the intervention
1. Making better use of the land and not only focusing on farming but also on sharing traditional culture and supporting the local community.
2. Preserving traditional agricultural methods and exploring organic farming techniques to improve soil quality and the management of flooding events.
3. Educating young farmers about traditional and organic farming techniques.
4. Sharing Lao cultural experiences with others through educational programs.
5. Showcasing traditional rice growing to tourists.
6. Supporting local community by employing locals (including from marginalized groups), providing educational funding for students in the community; establishing emergency fund for medical fees and providing fresh water to part of the village that still lack of water.
(Ref. 1,3,4,6)
Quantitative targets
1. Part of the profit from the farm goes to support the education of 60 students in the community and other community projects.
(Ref. 5)
Monitoring indicators defined
1. The number of visitors that joins the farm’s activities.
2. The number of students that the farm can support.
3. The number of farmers that follow traditional and organic farming techniques.

(Ref. 1,5,6)
Please specify "other Type of NBS project"
Preservation of agricultural area for farming culture
Implementation activities
Agricultural and cultural activities:
1. Rice paddies: The farm preserves local rice field and use traditional wet planting and organic methods in growing rice. The traditional wet-planting methods for rice fields involve filling and retaining water in the field to grow rice. Therefore, the rice field has the ability to retain water for certain period of time. The farm also adopt some new methods in grain selection and plantings in cooperation with Department of Agriculture.
2. Organic vegetable gardens: The farm use various methods such as composting, feeding with bio-energy from plants and fruits, rotating crops and leaving beds fallow. The farm also interplant with tobacco, marigold and herbs to discourage insects and allow vegetable to grow naturally.
3. Bamboo weaving into basket, hat and other possible merchandise.
4. Producing by-products from rice and vegetables such as rice wine, snacks and flour.

Educational activities:
1. Rice experience: visitors can learn about the planting and harvesting rice
2. Practice field for The Northern College of Agriculture students: Third year students will come and spend their time at the farm learning about organic farming.

Additional activities:
1. Offering homestay facilities for visitors to fully experience the life of local farmers.
2. Serving local Lao dishes in the Terrace Restaurant by using vegetables and products from the farm.
3. Selling farm’s products to hotels and restaurants in town.
4. Hiring local people including those with learning difficulties or physical diversities.
5. Supporting various community projects such as free food for those in need, educational sponsorship for local students and free English classes for the locals.
6. Organising rice harvesting festival for everyone in the village to join.
7. Creating a well in the farm and pump water to supply part of the village that lack of water.
(Ref.1,2,3,4,6)
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Community gardens and allotments
Horticulture
Please specify "other allotments and community gardens"
Farming Enterprise/Shared farming lands/Community enterprise that focuses on rice and organic farming
Please specify "other green areas for water management"
The traditional wet-planting methods for rice fields involve filling and retaining water in the field to grow rice. Therefore, the rice field has the ability to retain water for certain period of time. (Ref.1,7)
What is the level of innovation / development of the NBS related to water management?
Vegetation Type
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Provisioning services
Food for human consumption (crops, vegetables)
Habitat and supporting services
Pest and disease control
Cultural services
Tourism
Aesthetic appreciation
Inspiration for culture, art and design
Recreation
Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)
Physical and experiential interactions with plants and animals
Social and community interactions
Scale
Spatial scale
Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Beneficiaries
Governance
Governance arrangements
Non-government actors
Citizens or community groups
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
The farm was initiated by Laut Lee and 9 farmers that combine their land together and established the farm, as a community enterprise.
Project partners are The Northern College of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture and Forestry of Luang Prabang District, local people in Phong Van village.
The project also receive support from Mark Schnebli, a British citizen and a businessman who visit and live in Luang Prabang for over 15 years.

(Ref. 1,4,8,9)
Key actors - initiating organization
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Local government/municipality
Researchers/university
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
No
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
No
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
No
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Please specify other type of voluntary intervention
Voluntary enterprise for improved economic opportunities
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Please specify other vegetation type
rice, vegetables, salads, herbs (Ref. 6)
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
The project also receive support from Mark Schnebli, a British citizen and a businessman who visit and live in Luang Prabang for over 15 years.
(Ref. 1,4,8,9)
Co-finance for NBS
Yes
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Financing
Total cost
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Business models
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Type of innovation
Please specify social innovation
Local farmers in the sub-urban area of Luang Prabang combined their lands and founded The Living Land Farm, a rice farming community that runs an organic farm and an educational centre to making better use of the land and not only focusing on farming but also on sharing traditional culture and supporting the local community. (Ref. 1,3)
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
The Living Land was the brain child of young Lao villagers in the Ban Phong Van on the outskirts of Luang Prabang, to help people in their community and to preserve and explain their traditional way of life to visiting tourists. (Ref. 8)
Replicability/Transferability
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Unknown.
Impacts, benefits
Description of environmental benefits
Improved soil quality: The farm use various methods such as composting, feeding with bio-energy from plants and fruits, rotating crops and leaving beds fallow that contribute to maintaining the quality of the soil.
Improved flooding events: Traditional rice planting applied on the Living Land farm involves filling and retaining water in the field. This method has the ability to retain water for a certain period of time, preventing flood events. (Ref.1)
Increased number of species: With the creation of vegetable gardens and their mending without the use of chemicals only applying organic farming methods, the number of flora species increased.
Description of economic benefits
Increase of jobs: The farm hires local people with low educational skills or physical handicaps and also welcomes volunteers who are keen to learn more about our method (Ref. 1)
Tourism support: The farm offers homestays and have a restaurant where tourists can experience traditional rice planting and other farm activities like bamboo weaving, sugar cane pressing or black smithing. Visitors in small groups are welcomed and offered a 'Rice Experience' a half day program including planting seedlings, threshing rice or ploughing the rice paddy. (Ref. 1)
Development of deprived areas: With the employment of people from the local community and the education of local children coming from poor backgrounds to English and organic farming practices, they are given a chance for improvement and widen their horizons. The farm also supports the local village with infrastructural projects. (Ref.1)
Increase in agricultural production/Income generation: Through the homestay and the restaurant, income is generated for the community enterprise and also the whole community. Goods produced by the local villagers such as clothing, rice snacks and rice wine is also available for purchase during the Rice Experience for visitors. The organic vegetables, salads and herbs grown on the farm supply the top hotels and restaurants in Luang Prabang (Ref. 1)
Description of social and cultural benefits
Increased opportunities for marginalised: The farm employs people with learning difficulties, people coming from a poor background or with physical diversities. The farm also supports children in the local village coming from a poor background with English education and medical needs.
Increased involvement of locals/Improved social cohesion: The farm brought together 9 families for the establishment of the community enterprise. Since then, local villagers are working on the farm and the children's English education takes place on the farm creating opportunities for local social cohesion.
Increased social interaction: The community also have ties with external people - the farm acts as a training centre for the Northern College of Agriculture and welcome some of their students to do their practical work experience on our farm. (Ref 1)
Increased access to healthy food/More sustainable agricultural practices: In the organic vegetable gardens the farm use various methods such as composting, feeding with bio-energy from plants and fruits, rotating crops and leaving beds fallow. The farm also interplant with tobacco, marigold and herbs to discourage insects and allow vegetable to grow naturally.

Protection of cultural heritage: The main focus of the enterprise was to preserve the traditional rice farming practices the founding families used. This practice were later complemented with organic farming. (Ref. 1)

Education: The farm act as a act as a training site for students of the Northern College of Agriculture. 3rd year students will come and spend their time at the farm learning about organic farming. (Ref 1)
Type of reported impacts
Indicators
- Organically produced goods
- Number of supported children in the local community
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
List of references
1. The Living Land Farm (No date), About Us, Available at https://www.livinglandlao.org/about-us/ (Accessed 27-03-2023)
2. Experience Travel Group (No date), Living Land Companys Rice Farm Experience, Available at https://www.experiencetravelgroup.com/laos/exp/living-land-rice-farm-experience (Accessed 27-03-2023)
3. Explore Laos (2013), The Living Land Farm a community Business in Luang Prabang, Available at https://explore-laos.com/living-land-farm-luang-prabang-info/ (Accessed 30-03-2023)
4. Travel Authentic Asia (No date), The Living Land Farm, Available at https://www.travelauthenticasia.com/laos-destinations/the-living-land-farm.aspx (Accessed 31-03-2023)
5. Tripadvisor, The Living Land Farm (No date), Available at https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g295415-d2414180-Reviews-The_Living_Land_Farm-Luang_Prabang_Luang_Prabang_Province.html (Accessed 01-014-2023)
6. Good Food Revolution (2014), Living Land in Laos, Available at https://www.goodfoodrevolution.com/living-land-laos/ (Accessed 01-04-2023)
7. Career rappers (2020), How travel sparks curiosity: learning the 14-step rice farming process in Laos, Available at https://careergappers.com/rice-farming-luang-prabang-laos/ (Accessed 10-04-2023)
8. British Embassy Vientiane (2013), Ambassador visits British-supported organic farm and community enterprise in Luang Prabang, Available at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ambassador-visits-british-supported-organic-farm-and-community-enterprise-in-luang-prabang (Accessed 10-04-2023)
9. Khiri Travel (2022), A Morning at Living Land Farm, Luang Prabang, Available at https://khiri.com/living-land-farm-luang-prabang/ (Accessed 10-04-2023)
Comments and notes
Additional insights
Environmental impact/benefit
- Organic farming promote healthy environment, no chemical contamination from pesticides
- Allow vegetables to grow naturally

Social impact/benefit
- Preserve local culture
- Help local community to gain more income and live better life.
- During pandemic the farm focus on feeding local community
- Support knowledge exchange and develop agricultural techniques

Economic impact/benefit
- Create job

(Ref.1,3,4,5)
Public Images
Image
Living Land Farm - organic vegetable garden
Living Land Farm - organic vegetable garden
Source: Ref.1
Image
Living Land Farm - rice paddies
Living Land Farm - rice paddies
Source: Ref.1
Image
Living Land Farm - rice paddies and vegetable garden
Living Land Farm - rice paddies and vegetable garden
Source: Ref. 1