Beekeeping

Slash and burn agriculture is a thing of the past for Florent Randimbisoa, a former farmer from Entato Village on the fringe of the Tsitongambaraika forest. With the support of the project he has turned to beekeeping to support his family of nine. Tsitongambaraika is one of Madagascar’s few remaining stands of humid lowland forest. This globally unique ecosystem is under pressure from illegal timber exploitation and encroachment by slash-and-burn agriculture. Since the Global Environment Facility and UN Environment-supported Alliance for Zero Extinction project started its work in Tsitongambaraika, local communities have been educated on the value of their natural resources and alternative livelihood options such as beekeeping and rice farming, reducing pressure on the forest and opening the way to a sustainable future for both Tsitongambaraika and the region’s residents.