If small family farms adopt agroecology it could be a real solution to lower the agricultural carbon footprint. However, the workings of the agricultural systems are complex and there is a lack of reference when considering specific emission standards in Madagascar, therefore, it is difficult to measure specifically environmental advantages.

The project’s goal is to set up a method to evaluate the farms’ carbon footprint. It will identify the emission standards specific to the Region’s agricultural system.

The farming areas of the Itasy Region are located in the Central Highlands, near Antananarivo, the Capital city. They are significantly deteriorated: erosions are frequent and forests are disappearing.

The Region’s farmers’ production systems are declining; therefore the project’s aim is to follow their evolution so they can be sustainable and last in time. It should also estimate the impact of implemented agroecological and forestry practices on climate change.

Agrisud has a constant focus on boosting the action capacities of NGOs, organizations, professional groups, and also those of its own projects’ teams. Transfers of skills are made via « learning cycles ».

Promoting agroecological practices

Based on the “Agroecology in Practice” guide (Agrisud, 2010), this course helps participants learn these practices. 
It is based on transferring methods and tools to:

• Understand agroecology and its economic, social and environmental dimensions;
• Understand the sustainable management of a farming system;
• Analyze the context of operation and identify the appropriate 
agroecological practices;
• Be able to spread these practices.

De nombreuses organisations locales contribuent au développement Agricole à Madagascar. Elles se caractérisent par une grande hétérogénéité en termes d’échelles d’intervention, de cibles, de secteurs d’activité, et de professionnalisme.

Le projet propose une démarche de renforcement individualisé de 60 organisations (ONG, coopératives, Associations de producteurs), afin qu’elles disposent à la fois de bases de gouvernances solides, de méthodes et techniques d’intervention pertinents, et d’une reconnaissance de leurs capacités d’intervention.

In Madagascar, even if the Water Code stipulates that clean drinking water is a priority compared to agricultural water, it is however the opposite that happens to ensure rice production and food security.

Because of these tensions over the use of water, the project aims to reduce the impact of farming, forestry and pastoral activities on the water resource in the Nasandratrony commune, specifically in Zambazamba’s watershed.

It will be the source of drinking water for the district’s main town.

Watch the video of the projet

Madagascar has a great biodiversity but its natural capital is threatened by deforestation, about 0,53% per year. 50,000 hectares of its natural forest disappears every year.

The aim of the Holistic conservation program (or PHCF in French) is to reduce the rhythm of deforestation.

For this purpose it uses two strategies: on one hand, it raises the awareness of local populations on the decentralized management of environment and on the other hand, it promotes activities and alternative techniques rather than slash-and-burn farming and collecting forest resources.

This project falls in line with previous projects, which have been led by Agrisud since 2008 in Antananarivo’s suburbs. They highlighted the importance of periurban agriculture, supplying food for Antananarivo and creating jobs and income. They identified a great potential for the development of systems, assets but also technical, economic, structural and environmental constraints specific to this sector.

On the other hand, the Malagasy Intercooperation Association (AIM) collaborated with the economic actors of the Analamanga Region, as part of the establishment of Agricultural Service Centers (2008-2010), and the Regional Fund for Agricultural Development (2011-2013). The two organizations share their knowledge, skills and know-how in order to develop and implement the project.

Overall goals: to sustainably contribute to the fight against poverty in the city’s suburbs and to protect the environment.

Specific goals: to sustainably improve the periurban producers’ and traders’ income as well as the people's access to a regular supply (in quantity, quality and diversity) in fresh produces, fruits and farm chickens, sold on the local markets.

Three complementary lines of action will improve the supply of the city’s markets, in a chain-based approach:

• Professionalization of the production through the dissemination of agroecological systems and practices to ensure an improvement in production:
  - in quantity (increasing productivity and ecological intensification systems)
  - in quality (improving the products’ life span, reducing the pesticide residues, organoleptic quality)
  - in diversity (diversification within highly specialized production areas)
  - in regularity (seasonal adjustment of production by the use of varieties and appropriate methods: varieties adapted to photoperiod, tolerant/resistant, protected crops ...)

• Professionalization of marketing:
  - by supporting the local project management in regard to infrastructure and / or organizing peripheral markets (Talatamaty, Anosizato, Sabotsy-Namehana...),
  - by professionalizing pro-active collectors on short supply chains. The most favored supply chains will ensure the maintenance of the periurban production: freshness, traceability, reduction of losses (less handling, improved packaging and transport conditions)

• Building and developing a range of services supported by Producers’ Organizations (PO): the challenge is to facilitate the producer’s access to agricultural services and markets.
  The action builds the capacity of PO in order to meet these expectations:
  - producers’ needs diagnosis in connection with the production and marketing systems
  - building capacity and structuration of farmers and producers groups
  - PO professionalization (Consolidating their operation, governing and strengthening their technical capacity to provide quality services and meet the producers’ expectations).

Learn more about the Agroforestry Support Program around Antananarivo (ASA) : (French video)

Agrisud International continuously strives to help strengthen the NGO response capabilities, associations, professional groups, but also those of its own teams. Transfers of know-how can take place through the implementation of "learning cycles".

Learning cycle  “Management advice for VSB (Very Small Business)”

From the guide "Managing Advice for family farm VSB" (Agrisud, 2015), this cycle is for local advisors assisting farmers or professional agricultural organizations. It is based on the transfer of methodologies and tools:

• to know advice's overall approach and its variations
• to know basic agro-economic concepts
• to identify performance indicators (VSB) and environment's key information
• to understand data collection and processing tools related to VSB results and environment development
• to be able to realize an analysis of VSB results taking into account the environment
• to be able to advise a VSB (sharing observations and follow-up)

In order not to compromise the investments made in terms of drinking water distribution system by the various projects implemented within the framework of the cooperation between the Metropolis of Lyon and the Haute-Matsiatra Region, the multi-actor approach to IWRM* should prevent / reduce conflicts of use and contribute to achieve the overall objective of the Kolorano program: balancing water security and food security of populations on watersheds of intervention.

The encouraging results of the pilot project in the Zambazamba watershed (2014-2016) led to the continuation of supporting it and to replicate the IWRM approach in 9 new watersheds in the Haute Matsiatra region.

The implementation of Kolorano program’s activities is organized around five areas of intervention:

• Improve municipal governance in agricultural and forestry management;
• Development of watershed management schemes;
• Protect water resources upstream from catchments;
• Improve the productivity of water downstream of the catchments;
• Measure the impact of the program.

*Integrated Water Resources Management

(Français) Le potentiel agricole de la Région Itasy (Hauts-Plateaux malgaches) est important mais rencontre de nombreuses faiblesses et le taux de pauvreté est important. Agrisud travaille depuis 2008 à réduire ces faiblesses, avec des résultats significatifs en termes d’amélioration de la production et des revenus auprès de 3 000 familles.

On constate cependant que l'amélioration des revenus de ces familles ne s’accompagne pas forcément d’une amélioration de l’alimentation, avec des habitudes alimentaires qui évoluent peu et une situation nutritionnelle et sanitaire inquiétante qui touche les groupes les plus vulnérables, en particulier les enfants dont le taux de malnutrition chronique est de 62 % pour les moins de 5 ans.

Dans le cadre d’un partenariat avec la Fondation Bel, le projet associe aux activités de développement agricole des activités visant l'amélioration de la nutrition et de l'hygiène, en s'appuyant sur une démarche spécifique déjà mise en œuvre par Agrisud sur d'autres projets : la méthode LANN (Linking Agriculture, Natural ressources management and Nutrition).

Cette méthode utilise l’approche communautaire pour la mise en œuvre d’activités de nutrition basées à la fois sur l’amélioration de l’agriculture, de la gestion des ressources naturelles et le renforcement de capacités des femmes, et faisant le lien entre eux. Elle est assortie d’un guide nutrition qui donne les outils nécessaires pour conduire un diagnostic efficace et des actions de sensibilisation et de formation adaptées pour améliorer durablement la situation nutritionnelles des familles.

Le projet vise à adapter cette démarche à la Région Itasy en partenariat avec l’Office Régional de la Nutrition, afin d’améliorer durablement la sécurité nutritionnelle des familles en facilitant le développement de stratégies alimentaires et nutritionnelles au niveau des ménages et des communautés.

Avec le soutien de la Fondation Bel, l’ambition d’Agrisud est de donner une dimension significative à la démarche, en s’assurant d’un effet d’essaimage auprès des populations.