In a valley wedged between two national parks, where the forest meets the ocean, a quiet transformation is taking shape. Noelson Ranomenjanahary, lead of a regenerative agriculture initiative, is working with local communities to reimagine how they farm at a moment when the pressure on land and forest is growing. 

Maroantsetra is not easy to reach. Nestled on the northeast coast of Madagascar, the region receives more than 2,000mm of rainfall a year, and its rivers are so central to daily life that most people travel by canoe rather than road. The forests here are ecologically exceptional—part of one of the world’s most significant biodiversity hotspots, home to species found nowhere else on earth. And just a few kilometers away, the valley of Mahalevona still offers something distinctive: forest running almost unbroken to the shoreline, in one of the largest remaining blocks of rainforest on the island. 

"The valley of Mahalevona is situated between the national parks of Masoala and Makira," says Noelson, who leads the project's monitoring, evaluation and regenerative agriculture work. "This illustrates the challenges of environmental justice well, and the balance between preserving nature and the well-being of local communities." 

That balance is under pressure. 

Most people in Mahalevona are farmers. Their livelihoods, and the resources they depend on, come almost entirelyfrom the land and the forest. They harvest honey from bees that feed on forest pollen. They use the bark of the Bilahy tree, a native species, to brew a traditional fermented drink called betsabetsa. The forest is also an important source of traditional care, with several plants in agroforestry plots and surrounding woodland used by community members for medicinal purposes. 

But the land is shrinking—not in size, but in capacity. 

"As park boundaries are set and the population grows, it becomes increasingly difficult for young households to access land," Noelson explains. "This puts additional pressure on forest conservation and on how land is used to meet people's needs." 

The dominant farming practice is tavy, a form of slash-and-burn agriculture where forest is cleared, burned, and used to grow rice upland. It is an ancestral system, adapted to a context where land was abundant and fallow periods were long. That context no longer exists. 

"After tavy, the soil is stripped bare and exposed to the elements," Noelson says. "The fire destroys microorganismsessential to producing organic matter, compromising soil fertility. This reduces the soil's capacity to retain water, makes it compact, and leads to increased runoff and loss of nutrients." The result is a familiar downward spiral: yields fall,farmers move to a new plot; more forest is cleared. "Without stronger ecological regeneration processes, this contributes to deepening the cycle of poverty." 

Farmers themselves have been watching this shift for years. They report falling yields, more pest pressure, and soils that dry out faster during dry seasons. "If this constant movement from one cleared plot to the next continues, there may not be enough viable land left for future generations to farm", notes Noelson. 

Falling vanilla prices is also an added strain—vanilla has long been central to household income in the region, and when prices drop, the pressure to find other sources of income from the land only grows. 

The word "agroecology" can sound technical, even abstract. Noelson describes it differently: "a systemic approach based on the ecological model, using natural functions to design production systems that are sustainable, socially accepted, and respectful of the environment." 

In practice, one entry point is composting. "Decomposing organic waste through microorganisms to produce organic fertiliser—recycling plant waste through composting is not seen as problematic socially, but rather as a cleaning action." It meets farmers where they are, working with what they already do and understand. 

Agroforestry takes this further, associating trees with annual crops on the same plot. Above ground, the trees provide shade, higher humidity and better air circulation. Below, roots explore the soil at different depths. The system creates its own microclimate, builds organic matter, and over time, restores what tavy degrades. 

"In the valley of Mahalevona, farmers already practice agroforestry to optimise small surfaces," Noelson says. "However, the development and effective management of crop associations to maximise benefits still can improve." 

The model currently being tested combines chilli (pili pili) with clove or vanilla plants. Farmers can sell their chilli harvest year-round, earning around 5 euros per kilogram (and up to 8 euros after plot certification), while continuing to sell cloves or vanilla as usual. "These financial benefits for the farmer also benefit nature, through the progressive restoration of the plot as leaves and plant debris break down into the soil ." Over time, farmers can introduce a range of species into the same plot: fuel wood, cash crops, fruit trees, food crops, legumes—all benefiting from the ecosystem that the agroforestry system creates. 

The hardest part, Noelson says, is not technical. It is human. 

"Hesitation comes mainly from the fact that farmers have to change their habits and organise differently. It might mean a change in time management, like having to go and gather materials for compost, or planning plots with a diversity of crops." Among Malagasy farmers, most agricultural work is done by family labour, which depends heavily on each family's own circumstances. And economic pressures are real: the timeline of ecological recovery doesn't always match the urgency of household needs. 

"This financial anxiety creates a climate of hesitation. To limit the risks they face, they often wait to see concrete results before getting started or taking a new step 

But something is shifting. "More farmers are discovering the advantages that agroecology and agroforestry can bring. They choose to experiment on small surfaces, to evaluate the results themselves." What Noelson has noticed is that farmers talk to each other in their own language, like peers. "Not everyone adopts it at the same pace. Those who have tried it and seen results can serve as ambassadors." 

It is a model of change that is slow, uneven, and—perhaps because of that—more likely to last. 

One misconception Noelson wants to address is that agroecology is simply a set of techniques. "Agroecology is not just a technical solution—there are also the economic and social aspects to take into account with this approach." Land access, market prices, community organisation, gender dynamics within households: these are all parts of the picture. 

His own understanding of the stakes is rooted in memory. "In my childhood, I lived in the countryside, where I saw that farmers had more cultivable land and obtained good yields without using large amounts of fertiliser. Today, plots are much smaller, due to soil fertility loss, erosion, and the division of land through inheritance." He sees this trajectory as more than an environmental problem. It is a question of what is left for the people who come next. 

Asked what Mahalevona could look like in ten years if the project succeeds, Noelson allows himself to imagine it fully. 

"In ten years, the valley should have seen its deforestation cut in half. Mahalevona will benefit from ecosystems restored to their natural state. Farmers will take pride in their harvests and appreciate the diversity of crops in their agroforestry plots—enough not just to get by, but to build from" 

It is an ambitious vision, but not an abstract one. Noelson’s hope is rooted in the daily choices farmers are already making: whether to restore tired soils, diversify crops, and keep producing on land they already have, rather than clearing new plots. It is not a return to some imagined past, but a future in which the forest and the farm are no longerpushed in constant competition. 

"Agroecology and agroforestry represent two advantageous approaches for both present and future generations," Noelson says. "Their implementation helps mitigate the negative impacts of climate change—offering benefits not only to Mahalevona, but at a global scale." 

In the notes he left after the interview, he set the vision aside and named the conditions: "The restoration of ecosystems through agroecology and agroforestry is achievable. Appropriate support and the involvement of farmers are necessary to get there." 

In Mahalevona, where forests, farms, and household needs meet on the same narrow stretch of land, that is the test now underway: whether agroecology and agroforestry can help restore tired soils while easing pressure on the forest. 

An article co-written by Noelson Ranomenjanahary and Daria Vuistiner. Edited by Predrag Tripkovìc.