Responding positively to economic reforms, the economies of Cambodia, the Lao People’s
Democratic Republic, Myanmar, and Viet Nam (CLMV) have shown tremendous growth
since the mid-1980s, including in their respective agriculture sectors. Recent developments,
however, have brought into question the CLMV countries’ ability to sustain further increases
in agricultural productivity given the slow pace of reforms and emerging challenges. Going
forward, the reform agenda must go beyond the traditional view of expanding yields and
supply of agricultural products for development gains in the sector to contribute to inclusive
growth, poverty alleviation, and food security. This will require changing the market
structures and regulatory policies that govern the sector.