Since 2020, Viasat Group has been supporting the activities of Graine de Vie, a Belgian Non-Governmental Organization, founded in 2009, present in Luxembourg, Belgium, and France, which aims to offset the ecological footprint of industrialized countries by planting trees on the island of Madagascar. Viasat Woods is an initiative part of the Group’s overall sustainability project.
Reforestation with direct seeding produces very rapid results: young seedlings are visible within a few weeks after the seeds are planted in the ground. And within a short time, they are ready to absorb CO2. With the help of indigenous people, millions of seeds are buried each year; since 2009, more than 400 nurseries have been established and maintained in order to improve the livelihoods of thousands of villagers. They also provide jobs, produce food (fruit trees) and become a hub of local activities. From seed to tree: everything is 100 per cent organic and Graine de Vie owns the process from A to Z to ensure that everything is done with respect for local nature.
Activities in Viasat Group nurseries continued in 2022: 50,000 saplings were produced in the Diego area in Madagascar and 10,000 in the Ampefy area, reaching a total of 150,000 in the last three years.
It also involves agroforestry trees such as cocoa, lemon, acacia, etc., which, when distributed to local communities and replanted in villages and around their personal lands, are an indispensable support to reduce hunger and improve the quality and perspective of life. And it represents an even more important support today following the isolation caused by Covid, where the poorest people have been cut off from their food supply.
