Madagascar Locust Swarms Threaten Food Security
Recent Developments
01FAO/UN reporting on Madagascar’s locust plague has described a large-scale, multi-year control effort focused on keeping infestations from spreading and protecting food security in vulnerable rural areas.
02Earlier campaign reporting noted that around 2 million hectares of infested areas needed treatment during the three-year response program.
03World Bank and related analyses continue to frame locust outbreaks as a major livelihood threat for pastoral and smallholder communities, though the provided results do not show a new 2025–2026 Madagascar-specific surge.
Interventions
- FAO-supported locust monitoring and control operations in Madagascar.
- National and international aerial and ground treatment campaigns to suppress infestations and protect crops and pasture.
- Livelihood support measures such as seeds and fodder assistance for affected households.
What Works
- Rapid, coordinated locust surveillance and early response before swarms multiply and spread.
- Large-scale treatment of infested areas, combined with livelihood protection for farmers and pastoralists, has been used in Madagascar’s response programs.
How to Help
- Donate to organizations supporting FAO-led food security and locust-control work.
- Support humanitarian and agricultural NGOs working with rural households in Madagascar.
- Advocate for sustained funding for early warning, surveillance, and rapid response capacity.
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Verified Organizations
Organizations Helping(5)
Madagascar’s Locust Control Centre works with FAO on field surveillance, detection of hopper bands and swarms, and execution of control operations across infested zones. The national system focuses on routine monitoring, rapid response, and treating outbreak areas before locusts reproduce and spread further into agricultural regions.
USAID has supported Madagascar locust control with emergency funding and humanitarian assistance aimed at reducing the food-security impact of the outbreak. Its support helps enable surveillance, control operations, and broader resilience efforts so farmers are less exposed to crop losses caused by swarms.
The World Bank supports Madagascar’s locust response through emergency financing that helps pay for aerial spraying campaigns, surveillance, and operational logistics. Its role is to provide rapid financial backing so the government and FAO can scale up control activities quickly enough to prevent crop losses and protect livelihoods.
FAO leads and coordinates Madagascar locust control efforts by funding and implementing large-scale surveillance, early warning, aerial and ground spraying, and training local control teams. Its approach combines emergency response with longer-term locust management: monitoring breeding areas, forecasting swarm movement, supporting the national Locust Control Centre, and organizing preventive campaigns before outbreaks intensify.
