Association Akiba
Short description of your place and practices
A farm integrated in agroforestry, agro-ecology and permaculture in a tropical environment
To the northwest of Madagascar, sheltered from the trade winds and the impetuous Indian Ocean by the Tsaratanana massif, is the island of Nosy Komba. Close to its big sister Nosy Be, it overlooks the region from the top of its 600 meters. For decades, planters have taken advantage of its mild climate to cultivate the high plateaus of Anketsabe "where people plant". It is up there, on the slopes of the volcanic island, in the heart of the tropical forest, that the AKIBA association is based.
Agricultural issues in Nosy Komba
Madagascar is a country of farmers where 80% of the active population is rural and mainly practices subsistence farming. Only the surpluses are marketed with many dysfunctions: fragmentation of land, disorganization of the sector, loss, lack of training and infrastructure.
Traditional slash-and-burn cultivation, which allowed clearing at a lower cost, is no longer adapted to the increase in population and creates catastrophic situations. In 2019, with more than 100,000 ha of burnt forest, Madagascar is the first country in the world in terms of deforestation... Agriculture is increasingly dependent on climatic conditions and over the past few decades there has been a decline in productivity. agrarian.
In Nosy Komba where slash and burn cultivation is prohibited, planters have turned to cash crops under tree cover (vanilla, cocoa, coffee, pepper, etc.). These mechanisms have resulted in significant land speculation depriving poor farmers of access to land. They find it difficult to make a decent living from their work and to pass on a profitable farm to their children.
Certain traditional practices of Nosy Komba can be improved by a good understanding of the interactions between species and by the addition of complementary techniques.
We experiment with new techniques, share them with growers in order to build together beneficial methods for humans and their environment, which can be appropriated by all. We want to produce but also try and disseminate techniques by posing as a center of experimentation and an example for the farmers of the region.
Agroforestry, an equitable and sustainable solution
Agroforestry is the practice of combining trees and crops or livestock on the same plot. It has a positive impact on the environment, promotes soil retention and reconstruction, respects the water cycle, creates biomass, self-fertilizes; maintains a balanced ecosystem, regulates temperatures and air humidity.
- Techniques we are experimenting with:
linear crops to fight against erosion
plantation of firewood and timber
composting techniques
vegetable mounds
cultivation and experimentation with natural fertilizers and insecticides
hole planting techniques, pralination...
planting design inspired by permaculture
nursery and seed selection
pruning, grafting and layering techniques