Harvesting Honey, Cultivating Change.
Meet Livaniaina Harimanantsoa Razanajafy, the creative driving force behind the beekeeping business Ikiray Miel de Madagascar. Ikiray collaborates with local beekeepers to support honey production and advance social and economic development in rural regions. Livaniaina’s story is not just one of sweet success; it is also one of resiliency, empowerment, and dedication to halting climate change while promoting economic progress.
Knowledge and training about climate change, its impacts and its evolution are very important if we want to develop effective climate change mitigation and adaptation solutions. Livaniaina Harimanantsoa Razanajafy
Livaniaina is a PhD student in economics at the University of Antananarivo. His research focuses on the links between economic growth and entrepreneurship in Madagascar. His academic interest goes beyond textbooks, however, as he is personally invested in linking economic growth with entrepreneurial development in his country.
After witnessing rampant deforestation in his hometown and the negative effects climate change is having on beekeeping, Livaniaina made climate action a top priority. Climate change is affecting the seasons in Madagascar, disrupting the flowering of trees and, in some cases, killing off tree species that are unable to adapt. Seeing the direct impact of climate change has fueled his determination to tackle the climate crisis and protect his beloved beekeeping industry.
Participating in Impulsouth’s Climate Solutions Lab brought about a profound change in Livaniaina’s thinking. He has found that knowledge and training about climate change are important elements in developing effective mitigation and adaptation solutions. Thanks to this new perspective, he has renewed his mission to create lasting change.
Livaniaina’s climate solution puts change into action. With the support of the Climate Solutions Lab, he planned to plant trees—particularly melliferous trees and those that yield saleable products—as part of reforestation efforts that would support beekeeping activities and promote climate change adaptation in his local community. Within a span of three months, he planted 400 coffee trees.
In addition, he provided rural community members training on climate change, its impacts and its evolution as well as the importance of taking actions to mitigate and adapt to it.
His climate solution, firmly rooted in afforestation and education, is an example of how to care for the environment and local livelihoods. It was made possible through perseverance, innovation, and a passionate commitment to protecting the planet for future generations.
Imagen caption (1) Some pictures of grown coffee plants, (2) The picture of the new type of beehive installed (yellow one), around is the old type of beehive that the community uses, (3) Pictures of the community taking honey from the old type of beehive.
Climate Solution Summary: Beekeeping for Forest Protection and Rural Development
In Madagascar, deforestation is widespread, especially in rural areas, due to the demand for fuelwood. It is also causing the disappearance of bees, which around 90% of all plants depend on for pollination. Further exacerbating this situation is the fact that the majority of Madagascar’s rural residents live under the poverty line.
The objective of the project is to promote beekeeping in rural areas, thereby supporting healthy ecosystems and boosting the wellbeing of vulnerable rural communities. Local communities will benefit from the income generated by the sale of honey, while protecting the forests. The pilot phase of the project began in January 2023 in Ikiray, a rural village of beekeepers in the highlands of Madagascar, which has been affected by deforestation. The project included villagers interested in starting beekeeping, current beekeepers and the company Ikiray Miel de Madagascar.