About ValBio

Centre ValBio was created to help both indigenous people and the international community to better understand the value of conservation in Madagascar and around the world through research, training and education. It encourages responsible use of natural resources in order to promote sustainable development in Madagascar.

Prior to Centre ValBio, economic survival of the rural communities of the area were based exclusively on the overuse of natural resources. A core mission of the Centre is to reduce poverty in the area and encourage environmental conservation by developing ecologically sustainable economic development programs. Located near the eastern rainforest corridor of the province of Fianarantsoa, Madagascar, Centre ValBio is situated very close to the Ranomafana National Park, established in 1991 as a direct result of the discovery of the greater bamboo lemur that was thought to be extinct. In addition to the conservation of the bamboo habitat and the long-term conservation of the lemurs, the Centre is committed to reducing poverty in the area by developing ecologically sustainable economic development programs, such as: support for local production of medicinal plants, reforestation, conservation clubs, and ecotourism.