Madagascan women provided with environmental know-how

Women’s associations were trained by the ITC on climate-change adaptation and improved sustainability practices regarding raffia palms

Women’s associations were trained by the ITC on climate-change adaptation and improved sustainability practices regarding raffia palms

The International Trade Centre (ITC) is working with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in areas surrounding the WCS-managed Makira National Park in Madagascar, one of the country’s largest remaining mid-elevation tropical forests. They train women in climate-change adaptation and climate-smart raffia palm harvesting and processing techniques as well as organizational management. Their target is to build climate resilience, improve sustainability practices and raise incomes in Madagascan communities reliant on raffia for their livelihoods (fibres from raffia palms have long been used for making traditional handcrafts, clothing, bags etc.). In a country where two-thirds of the population is living in rural areas and with more than 40 protected areas accounting for around 2 million hectares of land, natural resources play a very important role to these people. However, the women’s cooperatives that typically process raffia and pass it on to traders have not yet taken full advantage of them, as raffia crops have been influenced by deforestation and climate change. ITC aims to empower rural women with environmental knowledge and market intelligence, in order to obtain a voice in community-based natural resource management. This way, they could source, manage and trade their produce locally and internationally, thus generating additional income for their communities and improving their livelihoods.

In 2015, around 200 women from six women’s associations in the Makira area were trained on raffia harvesting, sorting, drying, tanning, quality improvements, product design and planting. The workshops were organized by ITC and WCS, aiming to promote exports of sustainable natural resources and ensure long-term profitability, while conserving biodiversity. ‘During the training, we learnt a lot about raffia and we are now crafting better quality items,’ said Florine Zafijery, a member of one of the associations benefitting from the project. As a result of the workshops, women learned more sustainable techniques of raffia sourcing, such as to source the leaves only during the dry season. They were also trained in reforestation techniques to ensure long-term raffia sustainability.

Another important parameter is that ITC will create a network of potential raffia purchasers, and together with the WCS, the institution will help the associations enhance their legal status so they can more easily strike contracts with international buyers. ITC will furthermore assist the associations to gain increased visibility in the raffia value chain (the Blue Number initiative). 

Source: International Trade Forum