Fundraising to support the communities of Ihorombe in the legal aspects of their struggle to defend their land.
The Collectif TANY invites you to take part in its fundraising campaign to support the legal actions of communities in the Ihorombe region, affected by land grab by the Italian company Tozzi Green. These lands, covering several thousand hectares spread over three communes – Ambatolahy, Andiolava and Satrokala – were leased to the company by the Malagasy state under two 30-year renewable long leases, signed in 2012 and 2018. Initially dedicated to the production of agrofuels, JTF Tozzi Green’s agribusiness activities have Mainly turned to the cultivation of vast areas of corn, produced for animal feed and a few other commodities, as well as geranium transformed into essential oils. Since the end of 2023, corn has been replaced by tree plantations for the sale of carbon credits and essental oils.
Faced with the realization that the company’s activities are not bringing the promised “development”, the majority of the inhabitants, mainly zebu herders, are determined to create a collective dynamic to better defend their livelihoods, culture and land rights. The absence of a law protecting grazing areas in Malagasy legislation has made it easy for this company to monopolize their land, despite community opposition for several years. Malagasy civil society organizations support them in their demands for improved legislation and respect for human rights.
In collaboration with European organizations, we filed a complaint with the EOCD Italian National Contact Point, denouncing human rights violations and JTF Tozzi Green’s failure to comply with the «OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises». This complaint was made possible thanks to the support of a team of Italian lawyers.
You can contact a member of Collectif TANY at the following email address: patrimoine.malagasy@gmail.com.
Description of expense
Expenses include
- travels, meetings, workshops and communications required to build the capacity of local communities to
organize and support each other, and for investigations. - and the Collectif TANY’s contribution to the costs incurred by the Italian lawyer firm which continues to
accompany communities and organizations in the drafting, submission and follow-up of legal procedures.
Final beneficiaries of the fund-raising campaign
The final beneficiaries of your donation are the local communities.
Project carriers
– Collectif pour la défense des Terres Malgaches – TANY
– ACTION AID Italy
– Entraide et Fraternité – Belgium
Project location
Madagascar