The agricultural activity carried out by Tozzi Green confirms an entrepreneurial identity handed down from generation to generation, aimed at the integrated and sustainable growth of the local area.
In line with the Group’s family roots, linked to the farming culture, Tozzi Green sees productive agriculture as an essential tool for the development of the areas in which it operates.
The entrepreneurial strategy is based on the conviction that “a surplus capable of going beyond subsistence triggers industrial transformation processes”
Franco Tozzi
Since 2010, Tozzi Green has been growing a variety of crops in Madagascar, particularly in Région Ihorombe, in the south of the country, in the Ihosy District (communes of Satrokala, Andiolava and Ambatolahy). These lands are so difficult to farm that they have never attracted the interest of agro-industrial operators.
Aware of the role of agriculture in growth and sustainable development over time, in the fight against poverty and in food and nutritional security, over the years and after extensive experimentation, Tozzi Green has succeeded in growing several industrial crops (geraniums, spices and eucalyptus), as well as maize and soy beans, 100% of which are intended for the domestic market.
Through the cultivation of crop varieties adapted to the specific characteristics of the region and the improvement of agronomic techniques that allow the fertilisation of the soil by improving its agricultural qualities, Tozzi Green’s activities have made it possible to reclaim over 6,731 hectares of originally degraded and marginal land, saving it from desertification and transforming it into agricultural land.
In its agricultural activities in Madagascar, Tozzi Green has always sought to protect biodiversity by using sustainable farming techniques, such as crop rotation, and by constantly monitoring the level of biodiversity in the area. For example, in collaboration with the Madagascar Biodiversity Center (MBC), arthropod (ant) populations are monitored as an indicator of biodiversity.
“Reforestation is not only an environmental issue, it is also a social and political issue. By protecting the environment, we protect ourselves and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.”
Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
At the end of 2023, in view of the climate change taking place in Madagascar, and in particular the worsening drought conditions, Tozzi Green, through its subsidiary JTF, redirected its investments towards a reforestation project aimed at mitigating climate change effects by planting perennial tree species in the most affected areas. The aim is to maintain the substantial and numerous technical and economic investments that have become necessary over the years, guarantee the continuity of salaries for the many people employed and propose a plan that meets the needs of all the stakeholders involved.
Reforestation is universally known to bring significant environmental benefits to the soil and to plant and animal biodiversity. These benefits are not confined to the reforested areas, but extend into the surrounding environment, bringing improvements to neighbouring communities.
The areas covered by the reforestation project are unevenly distributed and alternate with land used for other purposes. In the specific case of the Ihorombe region, reforestation aims to alleviate some of the region’s most critical issues, such as water scarcity, poor soil fertility and soil erosion.
The project will use about 200 hectares of land (60 of which have already been developed) for agroforestry. Basically, the company establishes, at its own expense, areas where both productive trees (for wood/charcoal or fruit trees) and inter-row cultivation of food crops (maize, cassava, sorghum, etc.) are planted. In these areas, the local community has full management control and owns all the products harvested.
