Keith Barney is a doctoral researcher in the Department of Geography, York University, Toronto. He has undertaken some very interesting research on timber plantations in Southeast Asia (Barney 2004). He has sent this message to New Mandala about his recent work in Laos:

Greetings New Mandala Readers. I have recently finished up fieldwork in Laos, with a focus on the political ecology & economy of Lao/East Asian forestry, community-based resource tenure and local livelihoods, and the cultural politics of rural development. I am still in the process of writing up various field reports and presentations (and kick-starting some thesis-writing), but in the meantime, this link may provide you with a broad sense of what I have been up to. I would very much look forward to any inquiries, comments and discussion on these interesting and complex issues.