Francesa Earp talks to Dr Anika Molesworth about her research work in Laos and why actively listening to your people it the most important tool to understanding them.

Key Messages

• Social and cultural factors of a community are important to leadership – understand your people
• Learn from people and their situation before trying to change things
• Laugh when things don’t go to plan, and understand a sense of humour can help build relationships and connections
• Actively listen to people around you, hear what is said, act on it

Pull Quote

“…..have proper conversations with farmers about why they’re doing things and what’s influencing those decisions … tailor ag extensions to why farmers are making those decisions.”

About Francesca

Francesca Earp is a researcher for global development, student and New Colombo Plan Scholarship recipient. She completed her honours project (University of Sydney, 2018) on the cost of foot and mouth disease control in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. In 2019 she returned to Laos to become the In-Country Implementation Officer for two agricultural development programs conducted by Sydney University in collaboration with The Department of Livestock and Fisheries and funded by The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. She worked in this role until project completion in April 2020 and also worked as a gender consultant for a Business Partnership Platform Project based in Laos funded by The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Francesca began a PhD in 2019 investigating the inclusion of female farmers in agricultural development programs in Laos but, due to covid travel restrictions, has put that on hold to study a Master of Global Development at James Cook University.

Connect with Francesca:  LinkedIn and on Twitter 

About Anika

Dr Anika Molesworth is the founder of Climate Wise Agriculture. She lives in the Far West of NSW Australia, where her family raises sheep and goats. It was the decade-long Millennium drought that spurred Anika’s interest in climate change, and how to ensure sustainable and vibrant farming landscapes into the future. Anika is a recognised thought-leader of agro-ecological systems resilience, she is an agricultural science researcher, communicator and works in international agricultural development.

Connect with Anika:  LinkedIn  and on Twitter 

Want to know more?

Read more about Franny’s experiences in the Mekong Delta here