Global interests collide in Madagascar

Madagascar is one of the world’s most important biodiversity hotspots. International nature conservation organizations and donors, including Zoo Zurich, are working to protect the country’s last tropical forests from deforestation. But in the wake of rising global prices for vanilla and clove, local farmers are growing even more of these crops – often at the expense of forests. Nearby the conservation areas of Masoala and Makira, CDE researchers have shown just how strongly the global competition over land and resources impacts local development. For it to be sustainable, the various international actors must work together – for the benefit of all. Read the storymap