Agriculture of Madagascar Information:
Total Area: 587,041 sq km
Land Area: 581,540 sq km Water Area: 5,501 sq km Climate Description: tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south Terrian Description: narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center Arable Land Use: 5.03% Permanent Crop Land Use: 1.02% Irrigated Land: 10,860 sq km (2003) Total Renewable Water Resources: 337 cu km (1984) Total Freshwater Withdrawal: 14.96 cu km/yr (3%/2%/96%) Natural Hazards Description: periodic cyclones; drought; and locust infestation volcanism: Madagascar's volcanoes have not erupted in historical times Environmental Current Issues: soil erosion results from deforestation and overgrazing; desertification; surface water contaminated with raw sewage and other organic wastes; several endangered species of flora and fauna unique to the island Total Labor Force: 9.504 million (2007) Percentage of Labor Forces in Agriculture: 28.3% Agricultural Product Description: coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), beans, bananas, peanuts; livestock products |
Deforestation in Madagscarhttp://web1.cnre.vt.edu/lsg/GEOG3104S10Web/Group1/Ashley%20B%20Madagascar/Land%20Use.html
The second percentage of land is forest. There is only 21% of the forest left that used to cover the island. Deforestation is currently the leading cause of species extinction on the island and soil erosion linked to deforestation is known to be one of Madagascar’s largest environmental issues.Shifting cultivation and a push towards an export heavy economy were the first step in the process towards extensive deforestation on the island. Now that many years have passed, much of the soil is so low quality that it cannot even produce high agricultural yields. This is how much of the deforested land became grasslands over time. Madagascar Agriculturehttp://www.dinosoria.com/madagascar-3/index.htm
Amid concerns about weird weather, sea level rise and changing precipitation patterns, perhaps just as serious a concern (if not more so in some ways) is changes in global food production. With the world population continuing to grow at unsustainable rates, access to food and water is likely to be a serious problem in some places and one made worse by climate change. Madagascarian women farminghttp://www.treehugger.com/green-food/25-reduction-in-global-food-production-by-2050-organic-agriculture-part-of-the-solution.html
Cereal yields worldwide have stagnated, while one-third of these are used as feed for livestock. This figure is expected to rise to 50% by 2050, with environmental degradation and poverty rates increasing. Instead of feeding cereals to livestock, the report recommends "recycling food wastes and deploying new technologies, aimed at producing biofuels, to produce sugars from discards such as straw and even nutshells could be a key environmentally-friendly alternative to increased use of cereals for livestock." Sub-urban agriculture or how to practise effective recyclinghttp://en.ird.fr/the-media-centre/scientific-newssheets/384-sub-urban-agriculture-or-how-to-practise-effective-recycling
Sub-urban agriculture offers openings for effective recycling, but does present certain risks. Application of raw urban waste on the soils can create serious health risks. As a solution, local councils will have to concentrate on compost awareness campaigns and work to improve accessibility to such materials. Fertiliser for cropshttp://en.ird.fr/the-media-centre/scientific-newssheets/384-sub-urban-agriculture-or-how-to-practise-effective-recycling
Severe soil degradation is rife and chemical fertilisers are costly. Sub-urban agriculture can therefore be a worthwhile option for useful management of waste. This refuse comes directly from households or is retrieved from fly tips. More than two-thirds consists of organic substrates and is useful for fertilizing arable land. Although there is a range of research work exist on their effects on soil properties |