Aid to local populations & local development
LEVER 7
SUPPORT FOR HYGIENE
AND HEALTH
Healthcare options in Madagascar are very limited, and any serious treatment requires evacuation to a major city, the capital or, for the wealthiest patients, Réunion Island. Families therefore often forgo healthcare, particularly surgery.
Access to safe drinking water is sometimes impossible, worsening health conditions and contributing to digestive disorders, especially among infants. In this difficult context, Authentic Products, in partnership with Firmenich and Frontier, chose to build wells for local communities. Construction began in 2014. Each well serves the community and benefits approximately 25 to 50 people.
By 2022, 46 wells had been built, at a unit cost of four million ariary, or approximately €1,200.
LEVER 8
IMPROVING THE STANDARD OF LIVING FOR PRODUCERS
Fluctuations in vanilla prices can place communities in precarious situations when prices fall. This is why producers participating in Authentic Products’ sustainability programmes earn 8% more than conventional producers. Members of the Savanille, Bio Andapa and Authentic Vanille projects receive an additional premium of 10% to 25% over the price of conventional vanilla outside the sustainability project areas. This premium is set and adjusted according to the market price of conventional vanilla. Authentic Products also encourages producers to diversify their cash crops through nurseries supplying clove and pink pepper seedlings.
LEVER 9
TRAINING
FOR WOMEN
In many countries, women are pillars of the family, active members of the community and responsible for agricultural work. Their education and training therefore strengthen their independence and their role within the community. A budget-management training module was created in March 2019 for the Tsara Kalitao project. Initially delivered for one year by the NGO GCD (Groupe de Conseil et de Développement), until April 2020, it is now led by trained facilitators. In a country where many households live from day to day, the training teaches participants how to manage a household budget using simple accounting.
Mastering budget management enables women to analyse their expenses and income and plan over the medium term. This helps them achieve financial security during the lean season, from February to March, and invest in a personal project.
