Creating food safety and jobs

Some of the 50 new fish farmers in Madagascar

Some of the 50 new fish farmers in Madagascar

Along with the German development organisation GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für International Zusammenarbeit), Norges Vel is in the process of establishing a new cooperative that already organises 50 fish farmers on the east coast of Madagascar.

Madagascar is one of the world's poorest countries and it has a crying need for more and better nutrition, incomes and jobs. The goal of this project is to ensure more residents access to high-protein foods, and to create more regular jobs that will generate decent incomes for local women and men.

Cooperative solution that leads to good results

Supported by GIZ, this project is intended to establish a new cooperative consisting of at least 40 smallholders who are planning to start sustainable fish farming of the freshwater fish tilapia in the municipality of Brickaville.

'The demand for fish currently far outstrips the supply, so we assume that sales are assured at relatively stable prices. The smallholders in the seven cooperatives we have established so far have nearly tripled their incomes', points out Anne Mugaas, a project supervisor at Norges Vel.

These smallholders have nearly tripled their incomes

The new cooperative will be organised under the producers' organisation Tilapia de l’Est (TDE). TDE was established in 2014 by a local NGO known as MIDEM (Mission Indépendante pour l’Education at le Dévelopment à Madagascar) in collaboration with Norges Vel, and with support from Norad. 

Supported by GIZ, the new project will bring to completion the work of developing the cooperative union and the seven existing cooperatives during this third round of Norad support (2020-2023).

In addition, GIZ will help strengthen TDE's hatchery by providing a deepwater well to ensure the producers a continuous water supply for the production of fry, even during dry periods. 

Farmers turn fish farmers

'The 50 new smallholders are farmers with mid-sized farms. Every producer is to have two ponds each for farming tilapia. The funding for the ponds will be covered by future earnings from the fish farm', Mugaas adds.

TDE will provide instruction and technical support for the farmers. They will also supply fry and feed, and the fish will be sold through TDE's established marketing and sales channels. The increase in production volume engendered by the new cooperative will contribute to job creation throughout the entire value chain.

Striving to improve national framework conditions

The project is also intended to help the authorities improve strategies, plans, legislation, expertise, documentation and practices for sustainable farming of freshwater fish on Madagascar.

This work will take place through cooperation among GIZ, Norges Vel, TDE, the fisheries authorities on Madagascar, and APDRA of France and COFAD of Germany, two other organisations on Madagascar. The World Bank will also contribute to these efforts.

Weighing farmed tilapia

Weighing farmed tilapia

The project is intended to

  • Increase the supply of fresh tilapia for the local population to improve food safety 

  • Increase the number of jobs and opportunities to generate income by building up a value chain for tilapia in the vicinity of Brickaville and the capital, Antananarivo

  • Generate more income and work for new tilapia farmers and ensure access to fish for their families

  • Ensure that at least 30 per cent of the participants are women, and continue to promote equality

  • Further develop the marketing of fish products in Antananarivo

  • Establish a new cooperative consisting of at least 40 sustainable fish farmers in TDE

  • Establish deepwater wells at TDE's hatchery to ensure a year-round supply of fry

  • Help TDE become a financially sustainable, independent organisation for producers

  • Increase TDE's working capital to achieve access to funding for future investments after the external support programme is completed

 Norges Vel's contribution and role

  • Project management and quality assurance from A to Z

  • Ensure equal opportunities for women and men

  • Ensure technical instruction and quality assure the fish farming industry

  • Help ensure market access and product development for the producers

  • Ensure climate-adapted, sustainable development of fish farming

  • Ensure human rights, decent working conditions and risk management

  • Provide instruction and consultancy services related to strategy, financial management, organisation and business development

  • Lobbying activities for sustainable framework conditions for the development of fish farming and economic development on Madagascar in particular and in Africa in general

The sustainability goals in the project

In the autumn of 2015, UN member states adopted 17 goals for sustainable development by 2030. All of Norges Vels' projects support the sustainability goals.

This project contributes to:

AquacultureAnne TollerudMadagascar