Malagasy market in Antananarivo, Madagascar: an old woman is selling strawberry. Despite a wealth of abundant and diverse natural resources, Madagascar is one of the world’s poorest countries. Madagascar holds great potential for agricultural development, mainly due to the large variety of soil types and climatic diversity. Nevertheless, natural hazards combined with old-fashioned farming practices limit production. The standard of living of the Malagasy population has been declining dramatically over the past 25 years.