ABSTRACT

Agriculture is one of the most important activities in the lower Mekong river basin. It is a source of livelihood for a large portion of the population and a significant contributor to national incomes. For example, in Lao PDR, agriculture employs 76.3 per cent of the country’s 5.7 million people (UNESCAP, undated) and agricultural products contributed 44.8 per cent of Lao PDR’s gross domestic product (GDP) of US$2.9 billion in 2005 (World Bank, 2007). In Thailand, agriculture contributed a much smaller 9.9 per cent of total GDP (US$176.6 billion) (World Bank, 2007), yet the sector employs 44.9 per cent of Thailand’s 63.1 million people (UNESCAP, undated).