Gret
Fondation Avril has been supporting GRET since 2017, which supports the Centre Technique Agroécologique du Sud (CTAS) in the great south of Madagascar, in restoring the fertility of soils that have been severely degraded or even barren due to erosion and climate change. Soil fertily is restored thanks to « agro-ecological blocks » with a nutritional, productive and environnemental vocation.
At the heart of the system, a shrub legume: the Cajanus Cajan. Also known as pigeon pea, it contributes to the rapid restoration of soil fertility by enriching it with nitrogen and restoring organic matter. By 2018, GRET and CTAS had developed 27 agro-ecological blocks, over an area of 8 000 ha.
The pigeon pea, a real Swiss army knife in Madagascar
Grown in micro-forests or in strips with associated crops, the pigeon pea has as many functions as a Swiss army knife: in human nutrition, its protein-rich seeds are harvested in green and dry during the dry season when almost nothing grows in the fields! In animal feeding, its leaves are a highly sought-after fodder. It can be pruned every year and used as firewood. The shrub is also used in erosion control and as a windbreak. Lastly, it plays a key role in restoring soil fertility.
OUR PARTNER
OTHER PROJECTS:
R-STEPPS
The R-Stepps project, led by a team from College de France and supported by Fondation Avril, aims to automate tree planting in dry lands, thanks to a coordinated fleet of small rustic robots with complementary features.
Agrisud International
Thanks to Fondation Avril and a public call for generosity on the crowdfunding platform MiiMOSA, Agrisud International updated the guide « Agroecology into practice », launched by the OGN in 2010.
Oracle
Cereal-legumes intercropping is an old agricultural practice in many countries. It is also a promising agro-ecological practice, which enable the development of better cropping systems and preservation of soil’s productivity by limiting inputs.
AJP
Facing the decline in fishing and tourism on the Senegalese Coast, Fondation Avril decided in 2016 to help the association AJP (Action Justice et Paix) through its support of an EIG (Economic Interest Group) of producers in Nianing.