Laos' fertile soil and its proximity to China have created ideal conditions for banana cultivation to meet the surging demand from Chinese consumers.

This fruit frenzy has attracted Chinese companies to seek farmland in Laos, a landlocked country that has embraced a "green agriculture" approach to combat poverty.

With government approval, the sector has expanded, offering jobs, infrastructure development, and revenue from land once considered undervalued.

However, an investigation by Mekong Eye and the Rainforest Investigations Network (RIN) reveals that the fruit plantation boom has left a legacy of soil degradation and uncertain livelihoods for many local farmers.

Banana Boom, Soil Bust

Long-term intensive chemical use in Laos' banana farms has degraded the country’s once-fertile soil, and it may take nearly half a century to restore it.

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