Introduction
The following reflection is the result of an ethnographic survey and a t heoretically
informed study of the Biocultural Community Protocol (BCP) of the farming communities of Analavory (Madagascar).
2 Focused on the development of
the protocol, the analysis draws on the concept of “boundary work” in a bid
to describe how the various actors involved strove to negotiate the boundaries between different social worlds; and why this fell short of producing any
anticipated or expected result. We believe that attention should be paid to how
the various stakeholders, including funding entities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and State agents, introduce “scripts” and how, through their
practical implementation and the resulting unintended competition, these scripts
may compromise the successful completion of the boundary work and further
the conciliation of worlds.
The BCP in question was named after the rural commune of Analavory,
which is located in the district of Miarinarivo, almost 100 km from A ntananarivo,
the capital of Madagascar. The commune is home to around 68,000 inhabitants
and has always been an area of high immigration, due in part to its geographical location and agricultural potential. The area is located at the crossroads of
the RN1, a major, well-maintained road leading to the capital, and the RN23,
which provides access to the tourist area of Ampefy and the irrigated areas suitable for rice cultivation in the district of Soavinandriana. Analavory is a productive farming area supplying Antananarivo with rice and market garden produce
(see Map 10.1).
The development of the Analavory BCP was part of a project funded by the
Darwin Initiative, a UK government funding scheme aimed at countries which
are rich in biodiversity but poor in financial resources. The project was entitled
10
BIOCULTURAL COMMUNITY
PROTOCOLS AND BOUNDARY WORK
IN MADAGASCAR
Enrolling Actors in the Messy World(s) of Global
Biodiversity Conservation
Fabien Girard and Manohisoa Rakotondrabe
1
DOI: 10.4324/9781003172642-12
The following reflection is the result of an ethnographic survey and a t heoretically
informed study of the Biocultural Community Protocol (BCP) of the farming communities of Analavory (Madagascar).
2 Focused on the development of
the protocol, the analysis draws on the concept of “boundary work” in a bid
to describe how the various actors involved strove to negotiate the boundaries between different social worlds; and why this fell short of producing any
anticipated or expected result. We believe that attention should be paid to how
the various stakeholders, including funding entities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and State agents, introduce “scripts” and how, through their
practical implementation and the resulting unintended competition, these scripts
may compromise the successful completion of the boundary work and further
the conciliation of worlds.
The BCP in question was named after the rural commune of Analavory,
which is located in the district of Miarinarivo, almost 100 km from A ntananarivo,
the capital of Madagascar. The commune is home to around 68,000 inhabitants
and has always been an area of high immigration, due in part to its geographical location and agricultural potential. The area is located at the crossroads of
the RN1, a major, well-maintained road leading to the capital, and the RN23,
which provides access to the tourist area of Ampefy and the irrigated areas suitable for rice cultivation in the district of Soavinandriana. Analavory is a productive farming area supplying Antananarivo with rice and market garden produce
(see Map 10.1).
The development of the Analavory BCP was part of a project funded by the
Darwin Initiative, a UK government funding scheme aimed at countries which
are rich in biodiversity but poor in financial resources. The project was entitled
10
BIOCULTURAL COMMUNITY
PROTOCOLS AND BOUNDARY WORK
IN MADAGASCAR
Enrolling Actors in the Messy World(s) of Global
Biodiversity Conservation
Fabien Girard and Manohisoa Rakotondrabe
1
DOI: 10.4324/9781003172642-12