The MaMaBay Conservation Enterprise (ECM) model is built on close partnerships between conservation organizations, local communities, technical partners, and committed businesses.
These alliances are essential to linking forest protection, local economic development, and sustainable access to responsible markets.
For more than 20 years, WCS has been at the forefront of conservation efforts in the Makira–Masoala–Antongil Bay landscape. WCS ensures that ECM’s business and conservation model is grounded in its long-standing work with communities, complies with environmental and social standards, and is implemented through conservation agreements that govern access to economic benefits. In this way, ECM supports the conservation strategy led by WCS across the landscape.
Zoo Zürich helped initiate the development of the cocoa value chain in the region following a feasibility study conducted in 2015. Its support first focused on financing ecological restoration projects before expanding to dynamic agroforestry systems, thereby contributing both to landscape restoration and to the long-term improvement of local livelihoods.
The COPROCAVOL and KAJIVOLA cooperatives bring together the producers engaged in the cocoa and agroforestry value chains supported by ECM. They play a central role in producer organization, product quality and traceability, and in the implementation of conservation agreements in coordination with local community structures.
HALBA, COOP and SWISSCO
With the support of COOP and SWISSCO , HALBA is a key partner in developing the agroforestry cocoa sector across the landscape. These actors helped finance the early phases of structuring the cocoa and dynamic agroforestry value chains, including producer support, organic and fair-trade certification, the establishment of traceability systems, and local capacity strengthening.
ECOTOP
ECOTOP is the lead technical partner for the establishment of dynamic agroforestry plots. The organization supports the design of agroforestry systems, plot establishment, and the training of WCS technicians to ensure high-quality follow-up with producers. In addition, the DAF Tracker application developed by ECOTOP makes it easier to monitor and register all dynamic agroforestry plots.
HALBA and MCI
HALBA is the main international market outlet for cocoa produced through ECM, offering prospects for stable demand, remunerative prices, and stronger recognition of cocoa as a product with high environmental and social value. At the same time, MCI is a key partner in marketing pili-pili chili, a complementary crop integrated into agroforestry plots.
