In a remote corner of northeastern Madagascar, communities are turning abandoned plots into living forests, one seedling at a time. 

Project Key Numbers 

• 15,000 plants distributed this season 

• 85% seedling survival rate at 3 months 

• 40 hectar target agroforestry area this year 

• 5 years project horizon 

Along the valley of Mahalevona—a commune tucked at the edge of Masoala National Park in northeastern Madagascar—small patches of land that were once left behind are starting to green again. This year, for the first time, the community came together for a collective act of restoration: 15,000 seedlings of cloves, cacao, coffee, fruit trees, and native forest species were distributed to local families and planted on parcels that had long sat idle. 

The project, which officially launched in 2026 for a five-year run, starts with a premise that the land abandoned after slash-and-burn agriculture doesn't have to stay that way. In fact, it can become far more valuable — for families, for the ecosystem, and for generations to come. 

This isn't a reforestation project in the conventional sense. The species chosen are carefully selected for both ecological value and economic potential. Clove trees, which take five years to reach their first harvest, can generate between 5 and 20 euros per plant per year once mature. Cacao and coffee, ready to bear fruit from year four onward, add 2 to 10 euros per plant annually. On average, each participating family received ten clove seedlings, ten coffee plants, and ten cacao trees—along with native forest species that will anchor the soil and rebuild the canopy. 

• 4,700 Cloves seedlings / First harvest: year 5 

• 4,200 Cacao seedlings / First harvest: year 4 

• 4,000 Native Forest Plant seedlings /  Hintsina & others 

• 2,100 Coffee & Fruit seedlings / Including cinnamon 

The target of 35,000 plants originally set for this first season proved ambitious: availability of seedlings in the region was limited, and only 15,000 could be sourced and distributed. This is itself a core challenge the project is now tackling head-on—by scaling up local nurseries and forging partnerships with private sector actors for their corporate social responsibility programmes. 

Who gets the seedlings and why matters enormously. The answer lies with the Komity Ifotony Fiovana (KIF), the Coalitions for Change: community committees that represent the village's own vision for transformation. It is these groups that established the selection criteria for beneficiary families, validated the final lists, and act as the primary link between the project and the people it serves. 

The criteria are clear: families should have a plot of land available (outside the national park boundaries), demonstrate genuine motivation to care for the plants, and agree to participate in monitoring and follow-up. Priority is given to young households with limited access to land — the people who have the most to gain from a long-term investment in their soil. 

Behind every seedling is a nursery worker. Three local nursery growers—trained back in 2022 by the university of Antananarivo's applied research laboratory—produced all 15,000 plants distributed this season. The project purchased the plants directly from them, providing the financial base for them to expand production in the coming months. 

Scaling up is not without its obstacles. For commercial species, seed availability is tied to the rhythms of the market and the weather: strong winds can dramatically reduce fruit yields, and with them the seeds available for nurseries  For native forest species, collecting seeds requires specialist knowledge to ensure good germination rates. The project plans to double the number of nursery growers this year and stengthenthe capacity of existing ones—working toward an annual production of 50,000 plants by the end of the cycle. 

Planting season runs year-round in Mahalevona, thanks to the region's abundant rainfall—but the ideal window runs from December to May, when the rains are heaviest and temperatures stay warm enough for seedlings to establish themselves. A second planting campaign is already being planned before the end of this season, to build on the momentum and bring more families into the fold. 

As of March 2026, a municipal reforestation campaign run by the Mahalevona local government reported an 85% seedling survival rate. For the families who received plants through this project, monitoring has begun in April 2026. The target for the season is to reforest 40 hectares with agroforestry systems at an 80% survival rate. 

The project is supported by the Wyss Academy for Nature & The Full Circle Initiative, in partnership with the Applied Research Laboratory of the Forestry Department at the University of Antananarivo, and inColab at the University of Zurich. It works closely with the conservation bodies of Masoala National Park, local NGOs, and regional government services. 

The valley's families are not waiting for someone else act—they are doing it themselves, seedling by seedling, plot by plot, season by season. What the project offers is structure, support, and the belief that small, neglected parcels can become the foundation of productive, resilient land. 

For partners and organisations looking to contribute, the need is concrete: more nurseries, more seeds, and the capacity to grow 50,000 plants a year--and place them in the hands of families who will tend to them. For the communities themselves, the message is just as direct: the transformation of this valley is already underway. It being built by the people planting it. 

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