Three pillars for Madagascar

ADES' commitment has the following objectives:

  • the conservation of habitats in Madagascar

  • the reduction of deforestation of valuable forests

  • the fight against poverty

  • the promotion of environmental protection

To achieve these goals in the long term, ADES relies on three pillars. The goal is behavioural change on several levels that will enable the continued existence of flora and fauna in Madagascar.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

ADES focuses on the impact of its activities. ADES is guided by the long-term strategy of the United Nations. This has defined common goals that are to be achieved globally and by the UN member states by 2030. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with their 169 sub-goals were defined by all UN member states in 2015 and are the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They take into account the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development in a balanced way and bring together poverty reduction and sustainable development in one agenda for the first time. ADES supports the United Nations approach and aligns its projects with the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs and the promise to "leave no one behind". We show which SDGs our projects have a concrete impact on. For SDGs with a golden bar, the impact is shown in
reported annually as part of the Gold Standard certification.

The first pillar: solar and energy-saving cookers

Almost all families in Madagascar cook with wood or charcoal. ADES solar and energy-saving cooking stoves significantly reduce the consumption of wood and charcoal. This has many positive effects on nature and people.

  • The consumption of wood and coal is reduced by 50 to 70 percent with every energy-saving cooker. With solar cookers, meals are prepared entirely without combustion.

  • An average Malagasy family spends up to one third of the entire family budget on fuel. The savings from ADES products leave much-needed funds, for example, for school supplies or medical treatment.

  • The savings mean that an ADES energy-saving cooker pays for itself after just two to three months.

  • ADES cookers minimise the development of smoke, which is harmful to health. This promotes health and prevents thousands of cases of lung disease every year.

"After just three months, I felt the big savings in fuel thanks to the energy-saving cooking stove. Now I can save money for emergencies. The ADES cooker thus brings security into my life".
Madame Sentoniaina, Toliara

The second pillar: education and awareness-raising

Since 2011, ADES has been running environmental lessons at various schools in Madagascar. Using innovative teaching materials and methods, the ADES school team informs children about the consequences of deforestation for soil, water, the ecosystem and the climate and inspires them to protect the island's unique flora and fauna and to use natural resources sustainably. In addition, ADES offers courses for teachers to enable them to integrate environmental topics into their lessons.

ADES empowerment supports over 200 people to realise an income as independent selling agents of ADES cooking solutions. Our selling agents receive close support and further training.

The third pillar: reforestation

Madagascar is home to a unique fauna and flora with a high proportion of species that are found nowhere else. However, these are severely threatened. Every year, over 320,000 hectares of forest disappear in Madagascar. That is equivalent to about 450,000 football fields. The consequences are devastating: through erosion and desertification, the habitat of humans, animals and plants as well as land suitable for agriculture is lost.

ADES is planting mixed forests at various locations in Madagascar. These include fast-growing timber, slow-growing traditional tree species and trees that can provide food for local residents. In the region around Ejeda, ADES works with various village communities. There, ADES supports and advises the people in reforestation against the desertification of their land and for a better food supply.