MAHAVOTRA 2 - Forestry, agroforestry and land use planning in Madagascar - Itasy region

The overall objective is to contribute to the agricultural development of the Itasy Region and to improve territorial planning and management in the Itasy Region.

More specifically, it aims at an evolution of agriculture through a global restoration of the agroecological environment through a local network of service providers and the valorization of developed territory. It also aims to enhance the added value of agricultural products through the creation of three incubators in agro-transformation. It integrates a strengthening of local authorities in their capacities of territorial planning and management, so that they can guide the actors of the regional development, in particular by relaying the scalling-up actions of the service provision reinforced by the project.

The Mahavotra project (phase 2) has two specific objectives:
SO1. Improve agricultural production systems by developing sustainable local agricultural services and rehabilitating farmland
SO2. Strengthen local communities in their capacity to manage their territorial development and measure the effects and impact on the natural environment

A1. Supporting the Master-Operators in the development of their service activities and in the network structuring of the Master-Operators (1 structured network of 320 Master-Operators renders quality services to 2000 farms)
A2. Set up 1 business incubator in agro-processing and train and support agro-processing entrepreneurs
A3. Design plans for the management of forest areas, monitor plantations and train forest management (1500 ha of managed agricultural land during phase 1 and 2 project duration and micro-forest management guides are developed)
A4. Assess the environmental and socio-economic impact of adopting agroecological practices and develop medium-term scenarios (the carbon sequestration potential in soil and wood is assessed and a climate impact calculator and socio-economic allows to analyze different scenarios of planning and management of land)
A5. Initiate and support the establishment of a Regional Geographical Information System (a GIS diagnostic, training cycles with stakeholders in the Region, a regional database and cartographic references are conceived and produced, the regional GIS cell Itasy is created and functional)
A6. Elaborate Municipal Planning Schemes for two municipalities in the Region