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French Foundation for Biodiversity Research Young Researcher Prize - winners announced
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On Thursday 10 October 2020, the French Foundation for Biodiversity Research (FRB) unveiled the winners of its Young Researcher Prize. The FFEM selected Kanto Razanamalala of the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) for her work on "Microbial biodiversity, an ally for family farms in Madagascar".
The FRB aims to encourage young scientists by awarding a "young researcher prize", the second edition of which drew to a close on Thursday 10 October 2020. The competition’s 13 partners each selected one winner from 54 applications. In total, 13 researchers (7 female and 6 male) were recognised for their work on biodiversity.
As one of the event partners, the FFEM selected Kanto Razanamalala, a young Malagasy researcher, for her work on the importance of soil microbial biodiversity for family farms in Madagascar. The FFEM hopes to boost understanding of soil biodiversity, as it can contribute to more sustainable agricultural practices. High microbial diversity in the soil improves its fertility and a soil rich in microorganisms requires no artificial inputs.
Kanto Razanamalala has been working with Malagasy farmers to combine local knowledge with scientific research, an approach which echoes the FFEM’s strategy of recognising the importance of traditional know-how. Lastly, Kanto Razanamalala has worked on the CAMMISOLE project, supported by the FFEM through calls for project proposals on biodiversity scenarios, in partnership with the FRB. The topic of her research is a continuation of this project, which ended recently.
Further reading
Feedback from the “Biodiversity modelling and scenarios” programme
Results from the “Biodiversity modelling and scenarios” programme, set up by the French Foundation for Biodiversity Research (FRB) and backed by the FFEM, were shared during a feedback session held on...
Published on february 8 2021
