Exploring innovative strategies for livelihoods in a slash-and-burn context in Madagascar : experiencing the role of huma geography in sustainability-oriented research

Madagascar. located 375 km off the coast of Mozambique, is considered to be the 4,h biggest island in the world. Due to its particular evolutionary history, the island boasts a rich biodiversity characterised by a high degree of endemicity. Mittermeier et al. (1999) declared Madagascar to be a hotspot of biodiversity that should be protected at any cost. He thereby draws attention to the manifold environmental problems the island faces, of which deforestation on the eastern escarpment is the most prominent. Deforestation is largely attributed to slash-and-burn agriculture locally known as tavy. Farmers practice tavy mainly for upland rice, transforming primary forest into secondary forest and fallow Vegetation. Increasing population densities combined with unfavourable social and political parameters have caused fallow periods to be shortened to 3-5 years, leading to a reduction in soil fertility and fallow Vegetation, both critical for production. With the rapid decrease in productivity, the financial Situation of peasant households is at risk. This Situation is further aggravated by the resulting necessity of households to concentrate on short-term food and livelihood needs. As a consequence, their capacity to intensify land use and cultivate new land is undermined.