type:論文

type:Article

Prologue　 1. Ecotourism in Madagascar　 2. Traditional handicrafts making use of forest resources　 3. Species of wild silk moths and the current situation of their habitats　 4. Yarn and textile production of wild silk　 5. The current situation of wild silk production centers　 6. Suggestions for the promotion of wild silk production as a way to sustainable development of forest resources in Madagascar　Can development be sustained without destroying the forest environment in Madagascar? This article aims to discuss the possibility of the promotion of the wild silk industry as a way of sustainable development of the forest resources of Madagascar.　Madagascar, the fourth biggest island in the world, is famous for the remarkable fauna and flora embracing very numerous indigenous species, which attract many tourists from abroad every year. That is why Madagascar is referred to as a sacred place of ecotourism. However, the forests of Madagascar are vanishing rapidly, because of cutting down trees, clearing land for cultivation, slash-and-burn farming, and grass fires. It is said that less than 10% of virgin forests remain today. The government of Madagascar is looking for ways to alleviate poverty in rural areas, through both the preservation of the natural environment and the promotion of ecotourism. In such a situation, the traditional wild silk industry in Madagascar has been watched with keen interest as one of the subjects of the sustainable development policy of the government and international aid organizations like the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and NGOs. But most of the projects on wild silk production seem not to have achieved successful results. Through my field research in Madagascar during these several years, it became clear that the wild silk industry has gone into a steady decline due to the following vicious spiral: the reduction in numbers of wild silk cocoons because of deforestation, a steep rise in the prices of “lamba-mena (a ritual cloth for wrapping a corpse)” made of wild silk, the replacement of “lamba-mena” by textiles made of cotton or synthetic fiber, abandonment of spinning and weaving wild silk because of the diminution of the domestic market of “lamba-mena”, decrease in the demand for wild silk cocoons, renunciation of supplying cocoons and abandonment of the preservation of the forest. On the other hand, the marketing of fashionable light scarves made of wild silk or mixed fabrics of wild and domestic silk is thriving both in western and domestic markets, focusing on a new rich population influenced by the global fashion trend of featuring natural products. This indicates that there is a possibility of the development of Madagascar’s wild silk industry in future, provided they can slough off the vicious spiral and correspond to this new demand. After examining the current situation and problems at each level of the silk industry --collecting cocoons, spinning yarn, weaving textiles and marketing products, I point out the lack of a circulation system for cocoons and yarn as the biggest issue preventing the industry from restoring and promoting production. Finally, I emphasize the importance of policy-making for sustainable development of forest resources seen from various points of view beyond the division of administrative departments.

identifier:6

identifier:KJ00005424419