Additional measures needed to ensure clove industry does not contribute to tree cover loss in Madagascar

This paper explores the relationship between clove essential oil processing and tree cover loss, with a comparison to the incidence and effect of wildfires in Analanjirofo in eastern Madagascar between 2012 and 2021. We used Generalised Additive Mixed Models with the proportion of tree cover left around chef-lieu municipalities as response variables. The number of fires detected, the number of traditional and modern clove processing facilities in the municipality, and overlap with Protected Areas, and the number of villages in the municipality were set as fixed factors. Tree cover loss was associated with increased number of traditional and modern facilities. Clove operators show a motivation to keep using traditional facilities since they are more feasible, produce higher quality of clove oil, and reinforce social cohesion. The number of the traditional facilities per municipality remains 2.9 times higher than modern facilities despite their promotion since 2011. The use of the modern facilities is motivated by the lower wood consumption and shorter distillation time. Wildfires, often related to slash-and-burn agriculture, remain a major environmental threat to forest, especially in remote areas and more fires were detected in areas with higher tree cover. The overlap of municipality with Protected Areas has no effect on tree cover loss. Expanding the Agroforestry Systems (AFS) around municipalities and ensuring that they can produce enough fuelwood will improve the clove sector and thrive local economy. Controlling wildfires, developing a long-term clove industry management plan, and improving commercialisation policies could be immediate priorities for achieving sustainable development in the region.