Agrifood transformation in Madagascar: examining the priorities and the costs

Researchers from Hesat2030, together with the Zero Hunger Coalition and national stakeholders, have developed an evidence-based, investment-ready roadmap for Madagascar. This roadmap presents a costed portfolio of interventions tailored to national priorities with the aim of achieving five linked outcomes:ending hunger and malnutrition,  improving the livelihoods smallholder farmers, advancing gender equality and enhancing climate resilience.

The portfolio of interventions are based on evidence, acquired through Hesat2030's AI-powered literature review, and economic modelling combined with participatory, country-led inputs. The interventions navigate trade-offs — for example, between nutrition, productivity, and climate adaptation — while Madagascar’s local context and development trajectory.

The challenge

Madagascar faces the intersecting challenges of food insecurity, malnutrition and climate vulnerability. Approximately 40% of the population faces hunger - nearly double than in 2015. Over 80% of the population lives below the poverty line and 98% cannot afford a healthy diet. Hunger is intricately tied to malnutrition and the unaffordability of food.

Despite contributing less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, Madagascar ranks as the most climate-vulnerable country in Africa.  Prolonged droughts, extreme weather events, and other climate-induced shocks have deepened food insecurity and poverty, disproportionately affecting rural communities that rely on subsistence farming.

And yet, the country is also a biodiversity hotspot and a steward of critical environmental assets. Its rainforests, mangroves and ecosystems play a vital role in global carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation. However, these natural resources are under threat due to unsustainable agricultural practices, land degradation and deforestation.

Focusing on the priorities

Madagascar’s 2022 National Pathway for Food Systems Transformation lays a foundation for addressing the country’s persistent challenges of malnutrition, food insecurity, and climate vulnerability. It defines three priorities:

(1)  Promoting access to a diversified, healthy and nutritious diet

(2)  Promoting governance that supports equitable and resilient livelihoods

(3)  Promoting resilient production in the face of climate change

Using evidence from Madagascar and other comparable contexts, we propose interventions to strengthen the Pathway’s implementation and accelerate progress toward sustainable food systems.

Axis 1: Access to healthy and nutritious diets

With 74% of the labour force engaged in farming, fisheries, and forestry, the country has many entry points to improve nutrition through agriculture. Interventions should focus on the following:

• Diversify and sustainably intensify crop and livestock production, including aquaculture. With 95% of food-insecure people in southern Madagascar relying on farming, animal husbandry and fishing to survive, it is essential to improve and expand these activities. The intensification and diversification of crops and appropriate livestock production are critical to ensure more nutritious diets and improve livelihoods.

• Advance gender equality: Women provide 45% of agricultural labour but face systemic barriers including access to land, credit, and technology. Expanding their land rights, access to finance, and providing support for women-led cooperatives is essential.

• Reduce food loss and waste. Madagascar lacks transport, processing and storage infrastructure. As a result, even when harvests are good, losses can be high; in 2022, Madagascar imported as much rice as it lost post-harvest. A multidimensional approach that combines education, infrastructure improvements, and economic development could significantly improve outcomes.

• Invest in social protection. The current social protection systems cover only 6% of the extremely poor and represents only 0.3% of GDP – far below the sub-Saharan average of 1.2%. Expanding safety nets — from food banks to school canteens — can reduce extreme poverty and boost human capital by improving education and nutrition outcomes for children.

  
  

Axis 2: Governance that supports equitable and resilient livelihoods

Axis 2 focuses on strengthening good governance and legal frameworks, the development of land use plans and the construction of infrastructure. This can be achieved by:

• Invest in infrastructure, including renewable energy. Infrastructure remains vital to any effort to meet social development goals and to stimulate growth. Roads, processing facilities, and off-grid solar can connect farmers to markets, reduce losses, and improve rural electrification, including access to digital extension services.

• Strengthen cross-sectoral governance. Sectors such as agriculture and nutrition often operate in silos, leading to fragmented policies that fail to fully tackle the multifaceted issues of food security, nutrition and rural development. To bridge this gap, cross-sectoral groups should bring together relevant ministries, private sector actors, and civil society organisations.

• Secure land tenure rights. The absence of clear and legally recognised land titles hampers long-term agricultural investment and limits resilience-building efforts. Securing land certificates for women and youth is crucial for encouraging investment in sustainable agricultural practices.

  
  

Axis 3: Climate-resilient production

Axis 3 has two main goals: promoting climate-resilient agricultural production and managing natural resources sustainably, particularly soil and water. Interventions should focus on:

• Support climate resilient agricuture production. Given the vulnerability of Madagascar to climate shocks, a focus on climate smart agriculture and water management is critical. Existing research has shown that climate resilient crop varieties can dramatically improve climate resilience whether it is rice that is tolerant to flooding or drought resistant maize.

• Manage natural resource sustainably. Given the southern region’s vulnerability to recurring droughts and insufficient water infrastructure, emphasis should be placed on improved water infrastructure and water management in this region.

• Combat high levels of deforestation: Deforestation is a major driver of environmental degradation and GHG emissions. Agroecology offers a way forward by addressing both deforestation and climate change impact. Expanding renewable energy access can also reduce pressure on forests for fuel.

The results to date

Madagascar has taken important steps in transforming its food systems. Its National Food Systems Task Force has been revitalised with the support of the Zero Hunger Coalition and is now the central coordination mechanism for food systems transformation.

Recommendations from Hesat2030 country roadmap have been incorporated into the National Action Plan, which outlines the national priorities until 2030. It serves as the basis for coordinated matchmaking with partners—mapping who invests, where, and in what area. This approach improves alignment, reduces fragmentation, and lays the groundwork for long-term domestic resource mobilisation. To date, the SDG Fund has commitment resources towards this plan.

With support from its development partners, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, will launch a digital monitoring tool at the end of September to enable real-time tracking of commitments made by various stakeholders. This new platform will support the National Food Systems Task Force and the implementation of the Action Plan.

Finally, the Government is working to align its National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) with its food systems transformation, thus further embedding climate resilience into its food systems implementation. Ongoing meetings are taking place, and evidence from the country roadmap has informed this alignment.