(Madagascar) An assessment of the development potential of farming the red seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii in Velondriake.

Fieldwork in Madagascar required.

Undertake an assessment of existing livelihoods in Velondriake and the extent to which families can integrate seaweed farming into their livelihoods and increase their standard of living. Previous feasibility studies using Eucheuma denticulatum have demonstrated the potential for algae cultivation in the Andavadoaka. Blue Ventures is now launching a pilot project in partnership with IBIS SA, Madagascar’s only commercial seaweed farm, to develop the farming of Kappaphycus alvarezii. The project will focus on a small number of farmers in 1 or 2 villages before scaling up and expanding to other villages. An assessment needs to be undertaken in parallel to determine the number of suitable sites for seaweed farming (using a variety of techniques) in Velondriake and the number of families that the activity could be extended to. The study will lead to the development of a model that will predict the economic profitability of seaweed farming on different scales & using different techniques, taking into account a variety of technical, biological, economic and social parameters.