In communities in Pakse City and Bachieng District of Champasak Province, Lao PDR, cotton weaving, silk production, and mulberry cultivation have long been part of everyday life. Passed down through generations, these skills have supported household needs and provided families with additional sources of income. Yet, despite the depth of knowledge within the communities, production was often carried out individually and on a small scale, making it difficult for producers to access wider markets and develop their enterprises. 

The completion of the AFoCO-CLMV Project, implemented across Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam, marks an important milestone in strengthening these community-based livelihoods. Through the partnership between NTFP-EP Asia and the Association for Rural Mobilization and Improvement (ARMI), the project supported communities in building stronger organizational structures, improving products and production processes, and developing greater access to markets. By bringing together 43 groups across 12 villages, the initiative helped create opportunities for producers to work collectively while building on the skills and knowledge already present in their communities. 

A key part of this process was strengthening the connection between livelihood development and responsible resource use. Community members gained a greater understanding of sustainable harvesting practices for non-timber forest products (NTFPs), recognizing the importance of allowing natural resources to regenerate. This approach reinforces the idea that the sustainability of local enterprises is closely linked to the continued availability and health of the resources on which communities depend. 

Learning was also strengthened through exchanges beyond the communities. An international learning exchange to Indonesia provided participants with opportunities to explore new designs, production approaches, and appropriate tools and equipment. These experiences encouraged community enterprises to expand their range of products, from household items to gift baskets, textiles, and other locally made products suited to changing consumer preferences. Rather than replacing existing practices, these new approaches complemented local knowledge and provided additional options for community producers. 

The changes have also created opportunities for greater participation in local enterprise development, particularly among women. Some women’s groups grew considerably in membership, creating wider spaces for women to participate in production, decision-making, and income-generating activities. Several groups also progressed from informal community-based production toward more formal enterprise structures, including securing Enterprise Registration Certificates. At the same time, the use of social media platforms such as Facebook has enabled producers to introduce their products to customers beyond their immediate communities. 

For many families, strengthened local enterprises provide an additional opportunity to earn income without having to leave their communities in search of work elsewhere. More importantly, these initiatives have helped reinforce the value of skills and knowledge that communities have maintained across generations. The growing interest of younger community members offers an opportunity for these practices to continue evolving while remaining connected to local culture, livelihoods, and natural resource stewardship. 

The completion of the AFoCO-CLMV Project therefore represents not an endpoint, but another step in the continuing work to strengthen community enterprises, livelihoods, and sustainable forest-based practices across the region. It demonstrates how traditional ecological knowledge, when supported by opportunities for learning, organization, and market engagement, can contribute to sustainable and climate-adaptive community livelihoods. 

A story linking peoples and forests for strengthening market linkages in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam (CLMV) through the project (specifically, Output 2), “Capacity Building on Enhancing Resilience to Forest Fire, and Strengthening Local Livelihood, and Market Linkages (AFoCO/032/2022)” implemented by Non-Timber Forest Products Exchange Programme in Asia (NTFP-EP Asia), in cooperation with and funded by the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO) and ASEAN-Korean Cooperation Fund (AKCF).