Raffia
This page highlights the qualities of Wildlife Friendly® Certified Malagasy Raffia, the dedication of local farmers and artisans, and the unique biodiversity and landscapes sustained through this community-led conservation approach. It also invites you to become part of a supply chain that honors nature, cultural heritage, and inclusive development.
Raffia for People and Wildlife
Malagasy raffia blends
nature-positive practices with traditional
craftsmanship. Sourced from green fronds
carefully harvested without harming the tree,
it supports forest restoration and
livelihoods, beautifully weaving together
coexistence, culture, and conservation.
Woven Raffia
Hand-crafted in the rainforests of Madagascar, raffia palm yields a smooth, lustrous fiber, durable, and ideal for strong, elegant weaving.
Natural, Undyed Raffia: WS $ 32 sqm
Dyed Raffia: WS $ 53 sqm
Malagasy Farmers
TANANA Madagascar
In Madagascar’s northeastern rainforests, local farmers, supported by Conservation through Poverty Alleviation International (CPALI) and its social impact brand TANANA Madagascar, are weaving sustainable raffia into a powerful tool for conservation.
Cultivated within traditional agroforestry systems, raffia harvesting helps restore degraded landscapes and protect native plant species vital to local biodiversity. Certified Wildlife Friendly™, TANANA Madagascar transforms raffia into Fair Trade textiles, returning 100% of sales revenue to Madagascar. This nature-based enterprise strengthens community resilience, supports livelihoods, and promotes long-term stewardship of both cultural traditions and wild habitats.
Madagascar holds 5% of the world’s biodiversity,
much of it found nowhere else.
Malagasy Landscapes
TANANA Madagascar supports local farmers in restoring habitats through agroforestry systems that combine food crops, high-value species like vanilla and cloves, and native trees used for sustainable raffia production. This landscape-level approach, known as reconciliation ecology, enhances biodiversity in human-managed areas while supporting local livelihoods.
In 2025, 20,000 seedlings will be planted to expand raffia production and strengthen both ecosystem health and community resilience near one of Madagascar’s largest remaining rainforests.
Cultivation and Craft
From the forest floor to finished textile, each strand of raffia tells a story of community and conservation. Members of the local SEPALI Madagascar artisans' cooperative cooperative gather raffia palm fronds near their village, an early step in a process that transforms natural fibers into beautifully handwoven, Fair Trade, and Wildlife Friendly™ certified products under TANANA Madagascar’s craftmanship.
Wildlife Friendly™ production in Madagascar is shaped by local ingenuity and a deep respect for nature. Its success depends on the engagement of textile companies ready to invest in transparent, sustainable, and place-based supply chains that deliver environmental, social, and economic value.
Support nature-positive practices
Help us create an opportunity for Wildlife Friendly® Raffia in the sustainable and luxury textile market by getting in touch below. Let's support a responsible fabric that gives back to the Earth and supports farmers' livelihoods.
REFORESTATION
Farmers have planted over 30,000 native species trees since 2009, contributing directly to the reforestation of the endangered Madagascar rainforest.
EDUCATION
TANANA Madgascar supports farmers and artisans to earn enough to send their child to school.
CONSERVATION
By providing subistence farmers with sustainable supplemental income, TANANA Madagascar encourages inter-cropping practices using native plant species, thus contributing to the protection and conservation of endemic flora and fauna.
FAIR LABOR
TANANA Madagascar offers regular employment to a team that would otherwise have little access to paying jobs.