On 2 and 3 July 2026, at the Novotel Alarobia in Antananarivo, Madagascar Protected Areas and Biodiversity Fund (FAPBM) took part in the 10th edition of the Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development Initiatives Fair (Salon RSE & IDD). This landmark anniversary edition — postponed from 2025 owing to the country’s socio-political context — brought together more than 90 exhibition stands around a clear rallying cry: moving from commitments to partnerships, and turning ambitions into concrete action.
A key event for CSR in Madagascar
Organised by the consultancy firm Innoveo, the Salon RSE & IDD has for ten years been the main forum for dialogue between public institutions, large companies, SMEs, start-ups and civil society organisations committed to sustainable development in Madagascar. The 2026 edition marked a deliberate turning point for the organisers: ‘it is no longer just about raising awareness or sharing experiences, but about producing concrete commitments, bringing forward solutions and accelerating transformation’. It was in this spirit that FAPBM chose to strengthen its presence, alongside major corporate groups and institutional actors mobilised for the first time around measurable social commitments.
Closer dialogue with the private sector, building on the BRIDGE Project
FAPBM’s presence at the Salon RSE & IDD reflects its commitment to building closer ties with the private sector and mobilising it in support of protected areas. Engaging with the SMEs, large corporations and institutions gathered at Alarobia, the Foundation presented its role as a sustainable financing mechanism and discussed practical ways in which companies can contribute to conservation.
This approach builds on the work undertaken through the BRIDGE project, carried out with the Consortium of African Funds for the Environment (CAFÉ) and the Latin American and Caribbean Network of Environmental Funds (RedLAC). The project aims to build strategic alliances between the private sector and conservation trust funds such as FAPBM. The fair thus provided an opportunity to strengthen these ties and establish new contacts with businesses.
The fair also highlighted a key issue: the private sector has a decisive role to play in financing natural capital. Businesses depend on ecosystems for water, soils and resources, and the financing needs of protected areas go beyond what public and international funding alone can cover. CSR is one of the levers that can turn corporate commitments into concrete funding, provided it is strategic rather than limited to communication. It can directly support protected area management, ecosystem restoration, fire management or community projects, and is distinct from biodiversity offsetting, which is mandatory. For businesses, it also strengthens their image, their appeal to investors and their relationships with communities.
This is precisely what FAPBM offers: a reliable and transparent framework for channelling CSR investment to the source — protected areas and the communities that depend on them.
From dialogue to action: two strategic highlights
On 3 July, FAPBM’s Executive Director, Dr Rija Ranaivoarison, spoke at two key moments of the fair: a workshop on strengthening private-sector engagement for biodiversity in Madagascar, followed by a round table organised by WWF Madagascar in collaboration with Innoveo, on the theme ‘Madagascar: towards a sustainable economy that is attractive to investors’. On both occasions, astrong message was conveyed: Madagascar lacks neither frameworks, nor mechanisms, nor committed actors — the real challenge now is to create synergies, strengthen collaboration with the private sector and turn commitments into concrete action for biodiversity.
For FAPBM, preserving biodiversity is a collective responsibility: public institutions, the private sector, technical and financial partners, civil society and local communities each have an essential role to play. The Foundation therefore reaffirms its commitment to developing strategic partnerships with the private sector, in order to mobilise sustainable financing and support high-impact solutions for the conservation of Madagascar’s natural heritage.
Best Stand: an award that comes with responsibility
From the very first day of the fair, FAPBM’s stand offered visitors a genuine immersion in the heart of Madagascar’s protected areas, through an educational activity designed to raise awareness among a diverse audience — businesses, young professionals and people with ideas to share — of the richness of Malagasy biodiversity. Beyond its commitment to safeguarding protected areas, FAPBM positioned itself as a trusted partner for companies wishing to give concrete substance to their environmental commitments, thanks to its long-term, transparent and internationally recognised financing mechanism. This approach was rewarded at the end of the two days of exchanges: FAPBM’s stand was named ‘Best Stand’ of this 10th edition of the Salon RSE & IDD — recognition awarded by the visitors themselves, who came in large numbers to talk with the team and discover the richness of Madagascar’s protected areas. A distinction that serves as a reminder that conservation is not a burden but an investment in the very source of Madagascar’s economic and social life: our protected areas.
FAPBM stand at the Salon RSE & IDD, 10th edition, Novotel Alarobia, 2026, © FAPBM
