Socio-economic diagnosis of a small region using an economic farming system modeling tool (Olympe). An approach from household to landscape scales to assist decision making processes for development projects supporting conservation agriculture in Madagascar

Abstract : Two agricultural development projects based on conservation agriculture and agriculture/livestock integration are implemented in Madagascar with both a "watershed approach" and a "farming system approach": the BV-lac project in the area of Lake Alaotra and the BVPI-SEHP project in Vakinankaratra (Central highlands) and South-East. A farming systems reference monitoring network (FSRMN) has been set up with two objectives: i) to help the project in decision making processes for choosing appropriate technologies that will be developed according to a farmer's typology using prospective analysis, ii) to monitor the project's economical impact in the short and medium term. The farming system modelling approach is based on a software developed by INRA-CIRAD-IAMM ("Olympe", JM Attonaty, INRA), The approach is based on partnership (smallholder, farmers' organizations, project operators and local administration), farming system analysis, and modelling for a Decision Support Systems (DSS) project orientation. Adoption of conservation agriculture (CA) represents both a real change of paradigm for local farmers and a real challenge for agriculture and natural resources sustainability.