Fanamby is a pioneer in promoting nature-based businesses, such as tourism and high-value agriculture products, to ensure biodiversity conservation. A decade ago, Fanamby helped set up a farmer cooperative called Sahanala. The social enterprise, owned by over 7,500 Malagasy farmers, is now a major player in the nation’s booming vanilla trade, brokering sales to major international buyers seeking full traceability in their supply chain.

 

Connecting international buyers to local farmer groups can increase farmer returns dramatically, improve the soil quality through responsible farming production, and reduce pressure on forests from local people engaged in more marginal agricultural or slash-and-burn farming techniques.    

 

Fanamby is also restoring forest coverage and ensuring patrols within protected areas for the health of the biotopes.