Sayaboury, Laos, May 14, 2026 — A "Training of Trainers (ToT) & School Art Competition on Agroforestry," integrating knowledge transmission with artistic creativity, was successfully held in Sayaboury, Laos. Themed "Agroforestry for Sustainable Futures—Art & Knowledge Sharing," the event aimed to enhance local communities' capacity in building agroforestry systems, inspire youth participation in ecological conservation, and drive the green transformation of Sayaboury Province.

This event was funded by the Global South-South Development Center project, hosted by the Kunming Institute of Botany (KIB) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and strongly supported and co-organized by the Department of Land Administration and Management (DLAM) of the Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), and the Wyss Academy for Nature. It is also an important component of the construction of the Yunnan Provincial International Joint Laboratory of Mountain Agricultural Ecosystems. Dr. Thatheva Saphangthong, Deputy Director General of Department of Land Administration and Management (DLAM); Mr. Phongkeo Bounyavong, Deputy Director of the Sayaboury Provincial Agriculture and Environment Office (PAE); and Mr. Chanthavy Vannaphaphon, Deputy Director of the Sayaboury Provincial Office of Education and Sports (POES) attended the opening ceremony.

Morning: Deepening Knowledge and Empowering Local Trainers

The morning "Training of Trainers" session focused on core knowledge transmission and practical capacity building and was attended by nearly 60 trainers from Sayaboury who are primary school teachers. Prof. Xu Jianchu, lead of the Mountain Futures team at KIB, introduced the project's goals at the opening ceremony, emphasizing the importance of agroforestry promotion and youth engagement. 

During the key knowledge training, Chinese and Lao agroforestry experts highlighted species selection, circular agriculture practices (such as fish-vegetable symbiosis and understory cultivation), and their integration with climate change and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), drawing on vivid case studies from the Sayaboury demonstration site. In the subsequent practical session, trainees designed 15-minute classroom interactive activities on the spot, addressed common community questions through role-playing, and explored how to integrate the manual's content into local ethnic school curricula. Experts provided detailed feedback on activity design and knowledge accuracy.

Afternoon: Painting Nature, Young Ambassadors Speak Up

The School Art Exhibition and Competition in the afternoon pushed the event to a climax. All participants first visited the art exhibition featuring 50 entries from 23 schools across 9 districts in Sayaboury Province, with 16 artworks shortlisted and 6 making it to the finals. During the finalist presentation segment, the shortlisted students delivered 3-minute thematic speeches in Lao or English, vividly explaining the connection between the biodiversity, cultural connotations depicted in their artworks, and agroforestry systems. At the subsequent award ceremony, the Director of the Sayaboury Provincial Agriculture and Environment Office presented certificates and trophies to the winners. All shortlisted finalists were awarded "Young Agroforestry Ambassador" badges.

Building Commitments Together, Looking Toward a Sustainable Future

During the experience sharing and future planning session, trainers committed to integrating the agroforestry manual content into the 2026–2027 school curricula. Meanwhile, the "Young Ambassadors" shared their plans to promote agroforestry among their peers, such as creating classroom posters and organizing garden clean-ups.

At the end of the event, Prof. Xu Jianchu and Lao government officials delivered concluding remarks respectively. The KIB Mountain Futures team also announced follow-up plans. As a significant practice of the Global South-South Development Center project, this event not only effectively enhanced the local community's capacity in agroforestry and circular agriculture but also sowed the seeds of green hope for restoring ecological service functions and improving local community livelihoods through the cross-border integration of art and education.