Évaluation participative des impacts de la recherche sur le riz pluvial d’altitude à Madagascar de 1980 à 2015

Rice is the staple food for Malagasy people. However, in the densely populated Madagascar highlands, irrigated rice fields no longer meet the rice needs. A joint breeding program was launched in 1984 by FOFIFA and CIRAD that led to the creation of upland rice varieties adapted to high altitude conditions. These varieties allowed the rapid development of upland rice cropping up to 1800masl. An evaluation of the impact of this research was carried out following the CIRAD methodology "IMPRESS" (IMPact of RESearch in the South), that relies on the perception of changes by the farmers themselves. The shortening of the hunger gap and the reduction of the necessity to buy rice was the most important impact in farmers' eyes. An unexpected impact resulting from the previous one was also unanimously expressed: "the increase of peace of mind". The participatory approach allowed a fine understanding of the improvement of the individual situation of farmers.