Boosting Food Security in Rural Madagascar

Women especially embrace new techniques to earn a living

Woman surrounded by vegetables

The following is a summary of a story that originally appeared on the Duke Lemur Center website.

In northeast Madagascar, many families depend on small farms and a few chickens to survive. But in recent years, the soil has weakened, the climate has become less predictable, and food has become harder to grow. Hunger became a daily worry.

That’s when a long‑running partnership stepped in. For more than a decade, Duke University’s Lemur Center researchers have been working alongside local communities in a region of northern Madagascar. Their goal: help families grow more food, earn more income, and protect the forests they depend on. Their research was published in Sustainability.

Duke’s team listened and learned what farmers struggled with most — poor soil, crop pests, and chickens that often died young. Then they co‑designed training programs that fit local needs and used materials people already had.

“Our goal is to create place-based solutions that support both people and the environment,” said lead author James Herrera, director of conservation at the Duke Lemur Center. “Improving food security and reducing pressure on forests go hand-in-hand.”

One program taught farmers how to build healthier vegetable gardens using compost, mulch, and natural fertilizers made from leaves and plant scraps. This helped to restore tired soil and helped gardens remain productive, even during bad weather. Women especially embraced these techniques, gaining confidence and new ways to support their families.

Duke researchers and local partners also showed families how to build safer chicken coops, improve feeding, and vaccinate birds against deadly diseases. For many households, healthier chickens meant more eggs, more protein, and more income.

The results have been encouraging. Families report greener gardens, stronger harvests, and chickens that live longer. Many participants now teach neighbors what they’ve learned, spreading the impact far beyond the original training groups.

To learn more about this research, read the full story on the Duke Lemur Center website.