The CAAT research center: climate adaptation and agricultural transition

Specific problem we aim to address: the vulnerability of local communities to climate change impacts and the unsustainable agricultural practices exacerbating these challenges.
Our partner farmers encompass both agriculturists and fishermen, engaging in subsistence farming and fishing practices. Any surplus production is typically directed towards the local market or sold to collectors at very low prices.
Only a minority of farmers have had limited access to improved agricultural training (approximately 5 to 7 individuals), so the practice of shifting agriculture and slash-and-burn farming is common.
They also lack access to quality equipment and selected seeds (as they primarily rely on self-produced seeds). Similarly, fishermen utilize rudimentary fishing gear.

They experience lean periods, often coinciding with the onset of the agricultural season and lasting approximately a month (referred to as 'Maitso ahitra' in Malagasy). This phenomenon is widespread across the island.
According to local assessments, approximately 2000 people in our target communities are directly affected by these climate-related challenges. (population à toamasina: 530.000, source here)

Globally, the problem is even more significant, with 2.5 million smallholder farmers and rural communities in Madagascar facing similar challenges. (source: Worldbank, link here)

Factors contribute to the vulnerability of local communities to climate change, including (source: Madagascar, une population jeune avec une forte croissance démographique, PréRad OI, Garruchet V.): 

• • POVERTY AND VULNERABILITY OF FARM HOUSEHOLDS

    • 8 out of 10 workers in the agricultural sector contribute only 25% of GDP

    • low farm household incomes

    • poorly organized value chains

    • high price volatility for agricultural products

  • EXPOSURE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

    • rising temperatures

    • decreasing rainfall in the dry season, increasing episodes of extreme precipitation in the rainy season

    • pressure on ecosystems and natural resources due to high population growth (deforestation, soil and marine habitat degradation)

  • FOOD, NUTRITION AND HEALTH SECURITY

    • 44% of the population undernourished

    • 42% of children under 5 are stunted

    • In 2019, ranked 114th out of 117 countries (for World Hunger Index)

    • 108th out of 113 countries (Global Food Security Index)

• Dependency on Subsistence Agriculture (source here) : 

  • This represents 71% of Malagasy households. 

  • Only 9% of the adult population depend on agriculture to supplement their main source of income, indicating limited diversification of livelihoods. 

• Infrastructure and Transportation Challenges: accessing markets can be logistically challenging and costly.

  • Madagascar's road networks are among the least developed in the world. 

  • Its rural accessibility index (measured by the share of the rural population that lives less than 2 km from an all-season road) is 11.4%, among the lowest in the world, meaning that 17 Millions of Malagasy rural residents are not connected. (source: here )

• Land Security in Madagascar :(source here)

  • Millions of farmers did not have official land documents due to cumbersome and lengthy procedures and the prohibitive cost of issuing land titles.
    
    Our solution directly addresses these contributing factors by building a dedicated research center focused on low-tech agricultural innovations. This center will serve as a hub for collaborative research between scientists and local farmers, facilitating the development, testing, and validation of innovative practices tailored to the needs of smallholder farmers.

Our solution entails the establishment of a dedicated research center specifically tailored to meet the needs of smallholder farmers and their households along the East Coast of Madagascar, to replicate this model across the entire country.

At the heart of our solution lies the principle of democratizing access to research and technology in agriculture to combat climate change impacts for vulnerable farmers.

The research center serves as a hub for innovation, fostering co-creation and knowledge exchange between researchers and farmers through participatory action research.

Our approach empowers smallholder farmers to address challenges, enhance agricultural productivity, and bolster resilience to climate change. It combines traditional wisdom with modern scientific methods, ensuring a holistic and inclusive approach to agricultural development.

• Here's how our solution works:

  • Co-Creation: Scientists and farmers collaborate to identify pressing challenges faced by smallholder farmers. Through participatory workshops and consultations, they brainstorm potential solutions and prioritize interventions based on local needs and resources.

  • Farmer Training and Capacity Building: Offer training programs and capacity-building initiatives to equip farmers with the knowledge and skills needed to implement and sustainably manage the innovative agricultural practices introduced through the research center.

  • Research and Development: Building on these insights, researchers develop low-tech innovations tailored to the unique context of each community. These innovations may include sustainable soil management practices, integrated pest management techniques, crop diversification strategies, and water-saving technologies.

  • Agroecology and agroforestry Demonstrations: Set up demonstration plots showcasing agroecological principles and practices, serving as learning hubs for farmers and promoting the adoption of ecologically sustainable farming methods.

  • On-Farm Testing: The developed innovations are tested in real-world farming conditions through on-farm trials involving local farmers. Farmers actively participate in the testing process, providing feedback and insights to refine and improve the solutions according to their practical needs and experiences.

  • Digital Extension Services: Leverage digital technologies, such as mobile applications and online platforms, to provide extension services, disseminate agricultural information, and facilitate peer-to-peer learning among farmers.

• Validation and Scaling: Successful innovations identified through field trials undergo rigorous scientific validation to assess their effectiveness and impact. Once validated, these solutions are scaled up for broader adoption by smallholder farmers across the East Coast Region of Madagascar, with plans for replication in other regions of the country.

To kickstart our initiative, we will initially concentrate on collaborating with farmers residing in the vicinity of the research center.
These farmers predominantly belong to smallholder households, for whom agriculture serves as the primary source of livelihood.
Our approach revolves around engaging these farmers as our partner farmers, individuals whom we provide with seedlings aimed at integrating into their farming practices.
These partner farmers comprise mainly small-scale farmers and fishermen who heavily rely on subsistence agriculture.

Unfortunately, they lack access to innovative techniques, quality materials, and improved seeds, perpetuating their reliance on conventional farming methods.

Additionally, they are vulnerable to market price fluctuations dictated by middlemen, particularly in the case of lychee production.

Our initiative aims to address these challenges by facilitating income diversification and promoting the adoption of agroforestry systems within their agricultural operations. Through the provision of seedlings and training sessions, we empower these farmers to integrate tree crops into their existing agricultural systems, fostering environmental sustainability and economic resilience.

• Expected Impacts:

  • Increased income opportunities for smallholder farmers through diversified agricultural practices and improved market access.

  • Enhanced biodiversity and soil health through the adoption of agroforestry systems, leading to improved ecosystem resilience.

  • Strengthened the resilience of farming communities to climate change impacts through the implementation of climate-smart agricultural practices.

  • Enhanced knowledge and skills among farmers regarding sustainable farming techniques and natural resource management.

• Indicators:

  • The number of partner farmers engaged in the initiative.

  • Percentage increase in income diversification among participating farmers.

  • Area of land converted to agroforestry systems.

  • Number of tree seedlings distributed and successfully planted.

  • Reduction in reliance on conventional farming methods among partner farmers.

  • Participation rates in training sessions and workshops.

  • Adoption rates of climate-smart agricultural practices among participating farmers.

The mission of Bôndy is simple: we want to re-green Madagascar through community-centered restoration projects. We value environmental, economic, and social development. Bôndy operates restoration projects nationwide, with more than 100 staff on the field. In agroforestry, we conduct reforestation in close collaboration with our farmer partners. Bôndy supports and trains them in sustainable agricultural practices. We create jobs and provide the knowledge and resources necessary for the development of a successful project, from nursery creation to opening commercial routes. We started our activities in Tamatave in 2021. To date we have been able to plant more than 60 000 trees and restore more than 35 hectares of vegetation. This has been possible thanks to our full time team of 14 on the field, who are native from the region. They are at the forefront of the relationship with the communities and authorities, and constantly in contact with our HQ in the capital city.

Our solution offers a sustainable alternative to communities by enabling farmers and smallholders to develop sustainable income-generating activities with our support. In our projects, we systematically include a significant social component and address the needs of communities. 

We aim to scale up this activity with the R&D center. Our team lead, Valisoa ANDRIANARIVONY, is familiar with the issues faced by these communities, as she has experience in the east coast of Madagascar, namely in the city of Sambava. To support her, we plan to recruit a local technician from the region in addition to our team already established, that will be responsible for mediation with the communities. 

Moreover the design and implementation is guided by community needs. As explained beforehand, our methodology applied in the R&D center combines traditional knowledge with modern scientific methods to address challenges faced by smallholder farmers. 

Our team and guests (scientists, external agricultural engineers, phD students) collaborate with farmers to identify key challenges and brainstorm potential solutions. Together we will develop low-tech innovations suited to the local context, such as techniques for soil conservation, pest management, crop diversification, and water conservation, which are issues that we identified from communities since the beginning of our activities in the region in 2021.
The goal is to match the locals’ agendas by testing the innovations directly in the fields of farmers, using participatory research methods. They actively engage in refining the solutions on their own land, in fine successful innovations from field trials will undergo rigorous scientific assessments. Once validated, these solutions are scaled up for wider adoption among smallholder farmers in the region.

We selected the "growth" option for these reasons:

The company was founded in 2019, and over the past 5 years, our models and approaches have evolved, and our areas of operation have also expanded, going from a single region in the center of Madagascar to now encompassing 8 regions.

For this project, we have selected one region out of these 8, the Atsinanana region (East), to start this innovation. It's an area with great potential thanks to its warm and humid climate, which supports the production of various economically valuable plants that also distinguish our island (cloves, letchis, soursop, etc.)

We began our operational activities in the Atsinanana region in 2021. A nursery was established, and the distribution of young plants to local communities was initiated.

Currently, we have collaborated with 190 partner farmers (mostly agriculturists) and distributed about 160,000 young plants in total over these 3 years from December 2021 to June 2024 (plantations currently in session).

Now, through our action, we wish to contribute to improving the quality of life of these partner farmers so that they can be resilient to the impacts of climate change and overcome unsustainable agricultural practices.

Therefore, we plan to establish a center to solve this problem, where we will implement participatory-action research with different stakeholders (farmers, producers, national and international researchers, trainers).

The center will be located on the land where we produce our young plants (nursery trees). We will thus extend by developing the premises. We will then set up various climate-resilient facilities such as offices, a warehouse, intern houses, a gardening school, etc.

1. Technical barriers

The main challenge is the lack of infrastructure to be able to be efficient and productive in our action research protocols and the lack of collaboration with international research entities.

We lack high-quality infrastructure to attract the best researchers and doctoral students from around the world and to use our equipment in the best conditions.

Given that it is a research center, we primarily wish to establish collaborations with research entities such as universities or laboratories.

We have already established a partnership with Albatross, a research program on global warming funded by the EU and the University of Antananarivo.

 This center must be a hub, making the direct link between the realities of farmers facing climate change and the research entities that are innovating in the field.

This is why we want to join the MIT Solves program.

In addition to supporting research, the top-quality infrastructure enables participatory teaching and training for our farmers in the best possible conditions, providing them with invaluable tools and experience in the center.

2. Legal barriers

The regulatory framework overseeing forests in Madagascar is undergoing significant development and improvement due to its current weakness. This framework plays a crucial role in ensuring better management and conservation of these vital ecosystems. However, the existing deficiencies in the regulations have led to prolonged discussions among various responsible public jurisdictions, contributing to delays in effective management and conservation efforts, causing a lack of investments in the field.

Key areas of focus in the regulatory enhancement process include:

• Reviewing and amending existing laws related to forest management to ensure they are comprehensive, enforceable, and aligned with international conservation and sustainable exploitation standards.

• Clarification of the carbon credit market access for Malagasy forests and mangroves. We still lack visibility on some important points as the decree issued in 2021 governing the forest carbon market in Madagascar is the same for all types of projects. It does not differentiate between reforestation projects, forest conservation projects, and marine projects ; nor the clear benefit-sharing process. 

As a driving force in nature based solutions in Madagascar, we continue our efforts to encourage the improvement of better regulation in Madagascar’s natural capital to mobilize investors. 

Our innovative approach aims to revolutionize the way agricultural research and development are conducted, catalyzing positive impacts for smallholder farmers and broader transformative changes within the agricultural sector.

Here's how our solution is innovative:

• Participatory Approach: Our solution emphasizes participatory action research, bringing together scientists, researchers, and local farmers to co-create and co-develop solutions. By leveraging the collective knowledge and experiences of both researchers and farmers, we ensure that interventions are contextually relevant, practical, and tailored to the specific needs of the communities.

• Democratizing Access to Research and Technology: We democratize access to agricultural research and technology by establishing a dedicated research center accessible to smallholder farmers. This approach breaks down traditional barriers between researchers and farmers, empowering farmers to actively engage in the research process, test innovations on their land, and contribute to knowledge exchange.

• Integration of Traditional and Modern Methods: Our solution integrates traditional farming practices with modern scientific methods. While some innovations may utilize simple, low-tech solutions accessible to farmers with limited resources, others leverage digital technologies for data collection, analysis, and knowledge sharing. This holistic approach ensures inclusivity and maximizes the potential for impact across diverse farming communities.

• Catalyzing Broader Positive Impacts: By demonstrating the effectiveness of our participatory approach and the success of our innovative solutions, we aim to catalyze broader positive impacts within the agricultural development space. Our model of collaborative research and knowledge exchange can serve as a blueprint for similar initiatives in other regions facing similar challenges.

Longer-term outcomes: Facilitation of climate change adaptation and adoption of sustainable agricultural practices by local communities.

• 1st immediate output : Installation of climate-resilient and innovative infrastructure:

  • Activity 1.1: Constructing climate-resilient buildings using bamboo provides immediate shelter solutions that withstand extreme weather events, directly addressing vulnerability to climate change.

  • Activity 1.2: Testing and scaling up innovative irrigation systems to nursery level ensures efficient water management, leading to increased agricultural productivity and reduced reliance on erratic rainfall patterns.

• 2nd immediate output : Increased adoption of agroforestry techniques by the local community:

  • Activity 2.1: Nursery production of diverse trees promotes agroforestry, enhancing soil fertility, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration, directly contributing to sustainable land management and climate change mitigation.

  • Activity 2.2: Training farmers on agroforestry techniques ensures successful implementation, leading to diversified and resilient agricultural systems less vulnerable to climate change impacts.

  • Activity 2.3: Continuous staff training ensures effective guidance and support for farmers, strengthening the sustainability of our intervention.

• 3rd immediate output: Approval of different lowtech by local communities:

  • Activity 3.1: Participatory action research co-develops sustainable agricultural practices, ensuring relevance and effectiveness, and leading to widespread adoption within the community.

  • Activity 3.2: Dissemination of practices through demonstration sites provides tangible examples, inspiring confidence and encouraging further adoption.

  • Activity 3.3: Raising awareness fosters a cultural shift towards sustainable practices, laying the foundation for long-term resilience and prosperity.

• This will be the 1st center to implement participatory-action-research in the Atsinanana region
  
  This center will focus directly on smallholder farmers as beneficiaries. 

Our impact goals in this project would be the empowerment of partner farmers in the adoption of low-tech solutions developed at the center to increase their resilience to climate change.

Currently, these partner farmers, who primarily engage in subsistence agriculture, still practice conventional methods on their fields and resort to shifting cultivation (known as tavy or slash-and-burn farming). 

• Given that they reside in remote areas, their access to quality materials and seeds is very limited. 

• Their participation in research-action activities in collaboration with international researchers will address these daily challenges they face.

• Once these beneficiaries are convinced of the low-tech solutions co-developed by themselves with the researchers, we expect them to embrace these new practices and become advocates for disseminating these good practices. We have several indicators to measure these activity outcomes, including:

  • Indicators for farmers: 

    • Number of partner farmers engaged in the initiative.

    • Number of people sensitized through awareness sessions.

    • Number of farmers trained, including % of women and % of youth (under 35 years old).

    • Number of farmer leaders trained, including % of women and % of youth (under 35 years old).

  • Indicators for Climate Change Adaptation

    • Number of demonstration sites established per village.

    • Area of land converted to agroforestry systems.

    • Number of tree seedlings distributed and successfully planted.

    • Reduction in reliance on conventional farming methods among partner farmers.

  • Indicators socio-economics

    • Frequency of market price fluctuations and their impact on farmer income.

    • Percentage increase in income diversification among participating farmers.

  • Indicators on training

    • Participation rates in training sessions and workshops.

    • Adoption rates of climate-smart agricultural practices among participating farmers.

    • Number of documents detailing new practices disseminated from each research cycle.

    • Total number of training hours conducted.

Given that this center will be a participatory action research center involving various stakeholders (researchers: agronomists, foresters, ecologists, soil scientists, along agricultural practitioners), our approach will combine local/traditional knowledge with research findings from various studies and laboratory research.

• For instance, we aim to raise awareness among partner farmers about new smart agricultural techniques in response to climate change, including agroecological and agroforestry practices.

• Our solution revolves around harnessing the power of low-tech innovations to address the needs of smallholder farmers effectively.

  • One key aspect of our approach is the development of natural pesticides and fertilizers sourced from locally available plant materials. These bio-based solutions not only offer effective pest control and soil enrichment but also promote environmental sustainability by reducing reliance on synthetic chemicals.

  • In addition to natural inputs, we're exploring innovative farming techniques that maximize resource efficiency and resilience to climate change. For example, we're implementing agroecological and agroforestry practices such as intercropping and crop rotation, which optimize land use, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the risk of crop failure due to extreme weather events.

  • Furthermore, our focus extends to sustainable soil management techniques, including the use of cover crops and organic mulches to improve soil structure and moisture retention. By promoting healthy soil ecosystems, we enhance crop productivity and reduce the need for external inputs like chemical fertilizers.

  • Another aspect of our low-tech solutions involves the integration of water-saving technologies, such as rainwater harvesting and drip irrigation systems. These affordable and easy-to-implement methods help farmers optimize water usage, especially in regions prone to erratic rainfall patterns.

• The low-tech solutions are tested together,  designed, and approved by both researchers and farmers, and will also be accessible to farmers and easy to prepare to facilitate their adoption.

The dedicated team is composed as follow:

• Full time staff HQ: 48

• Full time staff in Tamatave: 14

• Part time staff in Tamatave (daily planters): 97

• Full time staff on the R&D center (to be hired): 1

Bôndy has been created in 2019. Our activities can be traced back to 5 years, with successful results in operations (reforestation and mangroves restoration). Our team has been conceptualizing the R&D center project for about 1 year with the objective of scaling up our work to create more impact.

Regarding individual experience, our team is made up of 7 agricultural engineers and 4 PHDs with two decades of technical expertise, and we are backed by a network of experts.

Bôndy is committed to implementing a fair, transparent, and beneficial management system for all stakeholders. Our values align with the activities of our company. We implement internal and external actions to ensure governance based on ethics and transparency for our team of almost 150 staff.

Regarding diversity :

• 96% of total staff are Malagasy nationals

• 26% of total staff are women

• 50% of HQ staff are women

• 22% of directors are women

• 42% of staff in the East Coast are native from the region

To ensure safe working conditions and an inclusive environment for our team, we guarantee : 

• Affiliation to the National Social Security Fund, the national social security organization that manages benefits related to healthcare, retirement, and other forms of social protection for workers and their families."

• Affiliation to health insurance and third-party payer with Allianz for medical needs.

• Daily free catering provided at headquarters.

• Free sports classes at headquarters: kick-boxing and yoga.

To implement core values of diversity and inclusivity, we have created an ethical charter that is signed by all staff. Our 7 principles are :

I- We respect standards and best practices.

II- We uphold various principles including health and safety, gender equality, and prohibition of discrimination and harassment.

III- We are committed to our responsibilities and obligations, such as fighting corruption, combating child labor, and respecting the rights of local communities.

IV- We refuse to engage in corruption and uphold trustworthiness.

V- We are honest with our clients and business partners.

VI- We ensure that our actions contribute to sustainable development.

VII- We take action in case of non-compliance with the code of conduct.

We work on a B2B approach where companies invest in our solutions to reach their ESG goals, improve their supply chain and reach their net zero targets. We sell solutions in the form of projects or consulting and advice to provide businesses with the necessary tools to measure and highlight the impact of their initiatives, facilitate the transformation of their economic model and address evolving regulatory, technical, political, and institutional frameworks.

• Our value proposition:

  • To offer partner companies nature based solutions to engage in agricultural transition and reforestation projects in Madagascar as part of their sustainability strategy.

  • To ensure efficient, sustainable and transparent projects that comply with environmental and social standards.

• Our customer segment:

  • National and international companies seeking to invest in impact projects to offset their carbon emissions, support biodiversity, equitable sourcing or community development.

  • National and international companies seeking consulting to create, operate or support environmental, forestry, agricultural and carbon projects. 

• Sources of income:

  • Private funding from partner companies

  • Call for proposals or invitations to bid in our areas of expertise

  • Subventions from international NGOs, prizes and foundations

• Key activities:

  • Identification of suitable sites for reforestation in Madagascar, taking into account environmental, social and economic needs.

  • Development and implementation of projects in collaboration with local communities and environmental experts.

  • Funding from partner companies by proposing attractive and impactful projects with transparency and strong monitoring.

  • Supervision of planting operations, including seed supply, training of planters and monitoring of tree growth.

  • Continuous evaluation of the environmental and social impact of reforestation projects.

  • Raising awareness of Malagasy youth and volunteering activities.

• Key relationships:

  • Partnerships with companies to obtain funding and collaborate on specific projects.

  • Working with local communities and stakeholders to ensure buy-in and long term commitment to the project.

  • Networking with environmental experts, NGOs and government institutions to access resources and expert knowledge.

• Key resources:

  • Management team experienced in environmental conservation and reforestation.

  • Technical expertise to identify appropriate tree species, implement effective planting methods and ensure forest management.

  • Access to suitable land for reforestation.

  • Network of financial, governmental and community partners.

• Cost structure:

  • Operational costs related to the management of projects, including salaries, logistics, monitoring and evaluation.

  • Outreach and communication costs to promote the environmental and social benefits of reforestation.

  • Administrative costs related to fundraising and follow-up reporting to partner companies.

  • Costs to carry out social projects when applicable. (road, hydraulic infrastructure, etc.)

• Competitive advantages :

  • Local expertise and in-depth knowledge of environmental and social conditions in Madagascar.

  • Transparency and accountability in the implementation of reforestation projects, allowing partner companies to monitor and reach their objectives.

  • Measurable and positive environmental impact, enhancing the credibility of the social enterprise and its partners.

  • Cordial relations with central and local government authorities.

After 5 years of existence, Bôndy is on the verge of skyrocketing to achieve our goals: creating sustainable, long lasting and inclusive impact through its environmental, social and economic initiatives. We deeply believe in the potential of nature-based solutions to support all industries to fight against climate change and build resilience for the most vulnerable people. At first, not a lot of people believed in us, today our model made tangible proof of success and we will keep working to improve it continuously. 

We mainly work with private companies aiming to develop their project portfolio and impact actions for their CSR/ESG strategies. The market size is broad and quickly expanding, as multiple actors are keen on investing in nature based solutions, notably with the increase of calls for proposals from institutions. 

With R&D center, we plan to fund our work through:

• our model 

• Grants and subventions for research on resilience for climate change

Since 2019, Bôndy has had an average growth rate of 200%, with the same expectations until 2026. We count important private (CMA CGM, Axian Group Madagascar, etc) and public partners (USAID, EU, AFD) from all industries in Madagascar and worldwide.

We already received a grant of $86,200 from USAID to start the work on the R&D Center. In detail, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Miarakap (local investment fund in high impact start-ups), and the private sector have co-created and co-financed the Mitsiry program. This program aims to support Malagasy SMEs and start-ups strongly committed to environmental preservation, and to assist local communities through economic empowerment and incentives for land conservation. Bôndy benefits from financial support from the Mitsiry program for the establishment of the R&D. This includes the creation of a nursery capable of producing up to 150,000 plants, as well as some of the infrastructure needed for research, development, and training in sustainable and innovative agricultural techniques.