I've just got back from Madagascar! I was there for a meeting of IPSIO (Insects and People of the Southwest Indian Ocean), coordinated by ant expert Brian Fisher, who also runs the Madagascar Biodiversity Center right by Tsimbazaza zoo in Antananarivo.

Madagascar is home to an incredibly diverse range of plants and animals; 90% of all species are found nowhere else on earth. But, as this photo above shows (taken through a plane window!), agricultural expansion is encroaching on wild habitats, putting many unique species in danger of extinction.

During the three day meeting, and three days of field trips, we listened to some inspiring people talk to us about some really exciting projects and prospects for harnessing the potential of insect-human interactions to combat problems of wealth inequality, environmental degradation and malnutrition. Here are some highlights.
​

Catherine Craig spoke to us about CPALI(Conservation through Poverty Alleviation, International)'s work in Madagascar. In partnership with a local NGO, they base their strategies on the belief that local communities are crucial for effective conservation. They have set up training centres where they teach local farmers how to rear wild silkworm and plant native silkworm feeding trees. Farmers are offered 'stepping stone' incentives (such as further rearing equipment, further training, and eventually a salary) in return for their participation in the rearing program.

This gives value to the forest, and therefore helps with habitat conservation and reforestation. At the same time, it gives people a source of livelihoods. The enterprise relied mainly on crowdfunding to get going.

CPALI are currently focusing their efforts on repairing the damage wreaked by a major cyclone that hit the northeastern coast of Madagascar. They are seeking donations to the relief effort via their GlobalGiving page.
​

Tapia forests are dominated by a single tree species, Uapaca bojeri. The leaves of these trees are the food plant for a native silkworm, Borocera cajani. This photo shows the tapia forest, which covers the ridges that tower above fertile valleys in the region:

We visited a small facility where larvae are hatched and raised year-round, to ensure that even when storms or forest fires threaten the species, they are still available. The photos below show pupae, larvae and moths in the facility. The pupae are also sold in the local markets as food.

Last but not least, Bombyx mori - this is the now-widespread Asian species of silkworm that has been farmed for its silk for thousands of years, and can no longer survive in captivity.

It's unclear how long it's been used in Madagascar (the island was first settled 4000 years ago by migrant agricultural populations from Asia), but it's certainly fairly important today. It was the only insect for sale in the city markets that we visited, and it clearly has great economic importance to the people who cultivate it and make products from it. Here are some photos of people using Bombyx mori in Antananarivo, Madagascar's capital city:

Now, having returned from Madagascar, I'm feeling inspired and uplifted. We were lucky to be joined by some experts with years of experience who had some really great insights and ideas about the future of insects and people in Madagascar. At the end of the meeting, we had a much more concrete plan for how the project will progress in the coming months and years, and I'm excited to be a part of it.

It was also really relevant to my PhD work. Of course, on the practical side, it was invaluable to see first-hand the methods used for rearing different African silkmoths, and hear about some of the logistical problems that had been overcome in developing different rearing practices. But it was also useful in a broader sense: In one very memorable presentation, Alan Gardiner spoke to us about his experience working with mopane worm harvesting communities in southern Africa, and emphasised the importance of community participation. Adding value to the environment is one crucial step of any successful conservation project, he said, and then giving local communities ownership of the project is equally necessary. Without these qualities - value and ownership - the project is unlikely to last beyond a few years.

This gave me a great deal to think about regarding our current project in Burkina Faso. How can we ensure that the communities we work with feel that they have ownership over the work that we do? How can our work add value to biodiversity in the region? I've a few ideas, and now, thanks to my time in Madagascar, I'm lucky to have some great contacts to discuss those ideas with! 

We did it! We managed to raise over and above our target for funding our research project, thanks to 44 generous backers on experiment.com.
​

Also, the project was covered in a 30 minute programme on the BBC World Service! They visited us in Burkina and interviewed our Burkinabe collaborators at the University of Ouagadougou, and several of the women in the villages where we work. The programme is called 'Should we eat insects?', it's free to listen to online, & available for the next 21 days!
​