Madagascar's NAP

Food System Overview

Farming, fishing, and forestry are at the core of Madagascar’s economy.[i] An estimated four in five people – mostly subsistence farmers – rely on agriculture for their livelihoods.[ii] Agriculture accounts for approximately 30% of the country’s GDP, generates 40% of national exports,[iii] and accounts for 70% of the total employment.[iv] Meanwhile, climate change impacts – such as prolonged droughts and heavy rainfalls – contribute to reducing Madagascar’s food system capacities and, over the last three years, placing an average of about 1 million people in a state of food insecurity.[v] Additionally, weather events like heavy rains and strong wind have caused extensive damage to rice fields and orchards, which contributes to added pressure on food prices and impacts later harvest seasons.[vi]

NAP Development

The development of Madagascar’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) was taken over by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD), through the National Office of Climate Change and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (BN-CCREDD+) with support from German Cooperation (GIZ). The process involves a series of consultations involving multiple stakeholders, including national ministries, civil society, and the private sector.

Food System MeasuresIn its NAP, Madagascar outlines a strategy aimed at enhancing the resilience and sustainability of its agricultural sector. The plan emphasizes the importance of crop diversification, introducing new species and varieties, and adjusting cropping calendars as needed. Further, it prioritizes strengthening the adaptive capacity of its livestock sector through the promotion of local breeds that are better adapted to challenging climatic conditions and disease resistance across various livestock types, including cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and poultry. In addition, it states there is a diversity of agroecological practices in place that will be supported and developed more widely: sowing on permanent plant cover, improved rice cultivation, agriculture-livestock integration, among others. Madagascar also states plans to develop and implement training programs for the professionalisation of rural youth on agroecology in its NAP. Furthermore, the NAP states that it will promote the creation of occupations that are less dependent on natural resources while also acknowledging gendered implications within food-system livelihoods. Specifically for the agriculture-livestock-fisheries sector, Madagascar states that it supports women in strengthening their capacities and skills – while simultaneously noting and considering the power relations that affect their choices that condition women’s lifestyles.

NAP Implementation

Madagascar plans and executes a range of efforts to implement its NAP. These include establishing a liaison mechanism to enhance collaboration among government ministries for consistent information sharing. The government is involving fishermen in community groups and consultation platforms to empower local communities and promote sustainable marine resource management. Additionally, support is being provided to Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs) for the protection of biodiversity and the promotion of sustainable fisheries. Further, Madagascar is developing an MRV system for climate change adaptation interventions. Climate adaptation is being integrated into the National Information and Monitoring and Evaluation System (SNISE) by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), in collaboration with the MEDD, so that climate change adaptation is considered, monitored, and evaluated in the same way as other development actions in the country. To avoid duplication, a National Evaluation System for Information and Statistics (NESIS) is being established to coordinate with existing sectoral monitoring and evaluation systems while utilising available data for climate adaptation planning and evaluation.

Sources

[i] Aguilera, C. (n.d.). Recommendation on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Madagascar and the Implementing Protocol thereto (2023-2027) | A9-0299/2023 | European Parliament. Retrieved November 11, 2023, from https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2023-0299_EN.html.

[ii]  Madagascar: $227 million to Increase Productivity and Strengthen the Resilience of Rural Livelihoods [Text/HTML]. (n.d.). World Bank. Retrieved November 11, 2023, from https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2023/04/07/madagascar-afe-227-million-to-increase-productivity-and-strengthen-the-resilience-of-rural-livelihoods.

[iii] International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). (n.d.). Madagascar. International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Retrieved November 21, 2023, from https://www.ifad.org/en/web/operations/w/country/madagascar.

[iv] Madagascar: $227 million to Increase Productivity and Strengthen the Resilience of Rural Livelihoods. (n.d.).

[v]  Fayad, D. (2023). Food Insecurity and Climate Shocks in Madagascar: Republic of Madagascar. Selected Issues Papers, 2023(037). Retrieved November 21, 2023, from https://www.elibrary.imf.org/view/journals/018/2023/037/article-A001-en.xml.

[vi] Fayad, D. (2023).