Taniala Regenerative Camp

The Taniala organisation derives its name from two Malagasy words: “Tany” which means both “earth” and “soil”; and “Ala” which means “forest”.

The Taniala Regenerative Camp promotes regenerative land use practices in Madagascar that are locally adapted, accessible and sustainable. It aims to support the forest to regenerate through sustainable agriculture techniques, and to bequeath living soil to future generations in Madagascar.

The first Regenerative Camp was set up in January 2022 in Lambokely, a village where migrants live after fleeing famine and drought. The local community depends on agriculture, including cultivation of corn, cassava and groundnuts. ‘Slash-and-burn’ cultivation of corn over three years is currently the preferred agricultural technique, after which time, other plots of forest are cleared. As a result of these unsustainable practices, only 56% of forest cover remains today.
Taniala aims to set up more Regenerative Camps to promote more sustainable practices in other sites.

Next stages of the project include:

• Involving local community members in the development of the agroforestry system model, drawing on knowledge of local species and embedding local people’s needs.
• Training local communities as “forest farmers” so they can share techniques with peers (training of 50 farmers within the next 5 years).
• Building the basic infrastructures necessary for Regenerative Camps.
• Testing or improving best practices and/or technical itineraries.
• Designing strategies for capacity-building and promotion of techniques.
• In the next 5 years, Regenerative Camps will be set up in several villages in the Menabe region.