by Harifenitra Randriamialison and Sarobidy Rakotonarivo
What’s missing
The education level in rural areas of Madagascar is low. This is also true for most farmers in our study sites, some of whom cannot read nor write. As a result, even though they produce, they do not know how to record their agricultural inputs and outputs, whether they make (enough) profit, or rather if they are operating at a loss. The average yields for food crops remain far below potential yields, and high reliance on farm income and strong fluctuating market prices locks rural communities into poverty, and increases their vulnerability to the negative impacts of climate change.
In our study sites, five full-time field technicians are currently providing a tailored and regular one-hour hands-on monthly training on CSA practices for coffee, rice, and cassava, such as organic and manure fertilization, cover crops, mulching, and contour farming. While this approach provides the follow-up and ongoing support that farmers need to adopt new and riskier farming techniques such as CSA, they lack the technical and entrepreneurial skills required to be make their farming profitable.
🌱 The farmer business school training : learning to see your farm as a business
The Farm Business School (FBS) trainings can help foster an entrepreneurial mindset among farmers and sustainably improve farm income. During five mornings, smallholders learn in FBS organized in the villages, how to capture costs of production and calculate profits for different farm activities. The training helps them uncover the income potential of their farming practices and make informed decisions on their farm activities. Other important training issues relate to record-keeping, business management principles, market orientation and financial planning.
In the shifting landscape of Malagasy agriculture, the FBS training originally developed by GIZ, offers a timely and transformative framework. Rather than seeing the plot simply as a subsistence field, the training invites farmers to envision it as an enterprise, with resources, costs, risks and opportunities. From the first module “Making money from agriculture” to the foundational work of “Knowing units to understand your resources” and “Managing your farm to have enough food,” participants are guided to connect their everyday labour with broader economic logic. The result? A shift from subsistence farming to profitable planning, equipping households to respond to market fluctuations, climate shocks and land-use transitions with confidence and clarity.
👥 The beneficiaries : 2,000 families committed to change
The planned beneficiaries include 2,000 household farmers, grouped into 93 VSLAs across our study sites in south-eastern Madagascar. The training is being implemented by GIZ through its PrAda Project (“Adaptation of Agricultural Value Chains to Climate Change”) as one of the interventions tested in our ongoing randomised controlled trial. It began on October 13, 2025, and will run for about four months. Each session lasts five consecutive half-days and includes between 25 and 30 participants. Seven GIZ trainers are delivering the training.
The training follows a participatory approach, allowing beneficiaries to interact with one another as well as with the trainer. It is conducted in a highly practical manner to ensure that participants, most of whom are adults with low level of formal education, can easily grasp the various concepts and applications. For example, farmers are taught how to use measuring tools such as calculators and measuring tapes. Each participant also receives a workbook and a pencil to follow and practice during the session.
🌱 Building Skills, Seizing Opportunities
As the modules progress, the narrative deepens: “Money out and in” prompts reflection on whether the business is doing well; “Decisions to make good business” empowers planning; and “Seizing opportunities to diversify agricultural activities for more income throughout the year” opens new horizons. Alongside this, modules on year-round financial management, access to financial services, and the benefits of being in an agricultural cooperative invite farmers into networks and systems often inaccessible. The final sessions, centred on high-quality products, investing in cash-crop activities, and “Becoming an entrepreneur in practice” complete the transformation. The FBS training ensures that empowering farmers with business-mindset, tools and networks is more than a training exercise: it is an essential lever for resilient, equitable and climate-adaptive agriculture in Madagascar.
Some participants come from remote villages, walking several kilometres to reach the training venue located in the commune’s administrative centre. This testifies to their determination to learn. Some farmers walk for up to nearly three hours round trip, leaving home early in the morning to attend the 8 a.m. session, and returning only late in the afternoon or in the evening.
💬 Feedback on the FBS training
Harifenitra – data manager at Arise-Hope
“I have reviewed the 12 training modules and the trainer’s guide, and I am truly impressed by the richness and practical nature of the FBS content. I believe this type of financial education is exactly what farmers need to succeed in their agricultural enterprises and broaden their perspectives.”
Ravelo – field technician at Arise-Hope
“Before, farmers used to work really hard, without making any prior calculations. Now, thanks to this training, they understand the importance of recording everything and planning before taking action.”
Aveline – a beneficiary from Ihorombe
“I am determined to apply all the knowledge I’ve gained from this training. If you come back for a follow-up next year, you’ll see a positive change in the way I run activities in my farm, and also in my income.”
Bienfait – a field technician at Arise-Hope
“This FBS training will strengthen farmers’ capacity to improve their family farms. The trainers also deliver knowledge in a simple and engaging way, using interactive activities to help participants stay attentive and retain the key lessons.”