Burning for zebu: The complexity of deforestation issues in western Madagascar

Abstract

This study takes a human-geographica l approach to examine the crucial problem of deforestation in Madagascar. Current land-use practices on the west coast threaten the survival of the dry primary forest, which exists in a delicate ecologica l balance under a climate bordering on aridity. A shifting-agricultur e system, encouraged by government policy aimed at expanding crop cultivation , is the major factor contributin g to the reduction of forested land. The forest is set on re and the burns used to cultivate maize. After three years, yields drop dramatically, and people search for new areas of forest to clear. The practice is likely to lead to the complete disappearanc e of the western forests if nothing is done to change the current situation. The main practitioner s are migrant Tandroy from the south of Madagascar. They migrate for reasons related to widespread local poverty and cultural practices linked to their reverence for cattle. They destroy the forests less for immediate survival than in order to gain possession of as many zebu as possible, which for them is the only way to acquire social status. Because Androy, their home region, is too poor to permit such acquisitions , migration to and deforestation of the western forest becomes an attractive alternative. The sale of maize to private exporters at a high price provides pro ts that can be used to buy cattle. This cultivatio n contribute s little to food productio n in Madagascar, and the Tandroy, motivated by cultural considerations , stand at the base of a chain of exploitatio n that ends overseas. Agricultural and conservatio n policies in Madagascar currently do not address cultural and economic complexities such as these.

Social-ecological traps hinder rural development in southwestern Madagascar

“…However, we found that locusts destroyed ~80% of the maize harvest in 2014. In addition, maize is one of the major drivers of deforestation in southern Madagascar (Réau 2002, Minten et al 2010). This clearly shows that current development agendas suffer from a too limited view of how contemporary social-ecological systems on the Mahafaly Plateau operate.…”

Historical landscape repeat photography as a tool for land use change research

“…While it may be scarce, analysis of the repeat photographs shows that in many areas endemic woody vegetation has been stable over the past century. This is in sharp contrast to the dramatic deforestation ravaging the eastern rainforest (Green & Sussman 1990) and parts of the western dry forests (Réau 2002). It should be noted, however, that 12 of the 19 photo pairs with natural woody vegetation occur in just two specific ecological zones, so generalization to all forms of native woody vegetation is not warranted.…”

New rules are not rules: Privatization of pastoral commons and local attempts at curtailment in southwest Madagascar

“…Moreover, restricting privatization of samata parcels does not fit with the traditional ideology that clearing, marking or fencing land legitimates its ownership. Thereby, cleaning for subsistence activities has the same legitimacy as cleaning for privatizing samata or cultivating other cash crops (Réau 2002).…”