Over 10,000 Coffee and Tea Farmers in Laos Benefit from SOLAR Project’s Social Security and Labor Rights Initiatives

The SOLAR project has played a crucial role in bringing these benefits closer to the coffee and tea farmers of Laos, supporting the government, social partners, and civil society in their pursuit of this common goal.

The SOLAR project, a three-year initiative aimed at expanding social security and labor rights for coffee and tea farmers on the Bolaven Plateau in southern Laos, concluded with a closing ceremony on June 28, 2024. Jointly implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Oxfam, and funded by the European Union, the project contributed significantly to the EU’s goals of promoting responsible businesses and decent work in supply chains.

Throughout its duration, the SOLAR project provided crucial support to 12,612 coffee and tea farmers, many of whom are informal workers. The project facilitated their access to social security and improved occupational safety and health measures. As a result, 806 workers were successfully registered with the National Social Security Fund, and there was a notable increase in awareness of social security, occupational safety, health, and gender issues among the farmers.

The project also focused on strengthening grassroots service delivery by piloting three new approaches and empowering workers’ organizations, including smallholder farmers, informal workers, and newly-formed cooperatives. Local authorities and civil society organizations were trained in dialogue, advocacy, and technical analysis, which led to the creation of 34 local social protection promoters and 22 core safety and health trainers. Notably, the project also saw 23 women advance into leadership and administrative roles within their communities and workplaces.

The project’s closing ceremony was followed by the third and final Project Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting, a multi-stakeholder forum that brought together national and local government representatives, village leaders, sectoral associations, and development partners to discuss ways to further improve labor rights for coffee and tea farmers in Laos.

Earlier in June, a Provincial Working Group (PWG) meeting was held, involving representatives from the target provinces of Champasak, Sekong, and Salavan. Both the PAC and PWG meetings provided platforms for reflecting on the achievements and lessons learned from the SOLAR project.

Loveleen De, Project Manager at the ILO, highlighted the project’s alignment with the National Social Protection Strategy's vision for 2030, which aims for equitable, adequate, effective, and sustainable access to basic social protection services for all Lao people. The SOLAR project has played a crucial role in bringing these benefits closer to the coffee and tea farmers of Laos, supporting the government, social partners, and civil society in their pursuit of this common goal.