The NGO Tandavanala, through its “Household Food Security Initiative” aimed at improving the living conditions and food security of communities around the Corridor Forest Ambositra – Vondrozo, also emphasizes environmental protection and natural resource conservation as one of its four main strategic pillars.
Currently, in the intervention areas of Tandavanala, particularly in the Ikongo District, the availability of wood for energy and construction has become a critical issue due to the degradation of wooded areas. Additionally, commercial plants such as coffee, which once made the District famous, are now outdated and no longer produce enough for sale.
By establishing multi-purpose nurseries in five communes of the Ikongo District, Tandavanala has produced over 600,000 young plants, including commercial plants such as coffee and cloves, multi-use plants like eucalyptus, acacia, and pine, as well as plants for soil fertilization and watershed protection. These plants will not only improve the living conditions of vulnerable households near the Corridor Forest but also increase the forest cover, which is currently nearly barren.
The goal of planting commercial plants like coffee is to rejuvenate coffee trees in the localities, considering that the sector once thrived and could once again boost farmers’ incomes in a few years. Similarly, planting common-use plants such as eucalyptus and acacia is intended to address the current need for wood. Farmers are now forced to walk several kilometers to find wood for construction and cooking.
The young plants are distributed to community members and interested entities, whether private, public, associations, or individual households. They are then planted on communal or private reforestation plots, depending on the type of plants. Since 2012, 60 organizations, including associations, cooperatives, and schools, as well as 2,917 households, have benefited from the young plants produced in Tandavanala’s five multi-purpose nurseries.
Each year, Tandavanala organizes reforestation campaigns in the intervention communes of Ikongo, Antodinga, Ankarimbelo, Kalafotsy, and Ambolomadinika. These campaigns aim to involve the community in environmental protection, forest cover restoration, and ensuring the future availability of wood resources.
