Improving market access to support communities and protect forests
ECM is a limited liability company that directly connects cocoa producers in the buffer zones of the Makira-Masoala landscape to international markets. We build certified and traceable value chains in which every tonne of cocoa supports both sustainable incomes for communities and forest protection.
Our model is based on access to premium markets that is conditional on compliance with conservation agreements, committing producers and Community-Based Organisations (COBAs, or Vondron’Olona Ifotony – VOI in Malagasy) to protect their environment.
To secure producers’ access to premium markets, we have supported our partner cooperatives in obtaining EU 2018/848 and NOP organic certification. This not only increases the value of cocoa, but also of other products grown in our agroforestry plots.
Fair trade built on conservation agreements: long-term trading relationships, fair prices, and value-sharing tied to concrete commitments to protect forests.
Full traceability, from plot to final product. Each batch of cocoa is tracked, monitored, and linked to committed producers in order to meet international market requirements and deforestation-reduction regulations.
Dynamic agroforestry is a production system that combines crops, trees, and biodiversity on the same plot, drawing inspiration from the natural functioning of the forest. It regenerates soils, protects ecosystems, and provides sustainable incomes for communities.
This model makes it possible to:
Restore soil fertility
Preserve forest cover and ecological corridors
Secure farm incomes and strengthen resilience
A mutual commitment
Each conservation agreement is a voluntary and formal commitment between three parties: the MaMaBay Conservation Enterprise (ECM), the producer, and the COBA, a legally recognised community structure responsible for the local and collective management of natural resources. In return for verifiable commitments to protect forests and ecosystems, the producer receives technical support, secure access to rewarding markets, and sustainable income opportunities.
Conservation thus becomes a condition for market access rather than an imposed constraint.
