weighted score 5.7 · nine dimensions
Country Risk Profile
Madagascar
Sourcing risk, regulatory exposure and audit intelligence for Madagascar-origin supply chains.
Forced & child labour
6
TVPRA listings for vanilla, sapphires, and mica (child labour). Vanilla supply chain fragmentation creates audit blind spots. Mica mining conditions are extremely hazardous.
Worker rights & FOA
6
Labour code exists but enforcement is very weak. Freedom of association nominally protected but practically constrained by poverty and informality. EPZ workers have somewhat better protections.
OHS & audit transparency
6
Mica mining and vanilla harvesting involve hazardous conditions. Audit infrastructure is minimal outside EPZ garment factories. Third-party audit access to artisanal mining sites is extremely limited.
Food & product safety
5
Vanilla quality varies widely. No robust national food safety authority. EU RASFF notifications for Malagasy products are infrequent but pesticide residue controls are weak.
Environmental & regulatory
6
Over 90% original forest lost. Tavy (slash-and-burn) continues. EUDR exposure for vanilla, cocoa, and wood products. Biodiversity crisis — Madagascar is a global conservation priority.
Governance & anti-corruption
8
TI CPI 26/100. Very high corruption perception. Weak rule of law. Land tenure insecurity. Political instability with coup history (2009).
Tariff & preferential access
2
EU EBA provides duty-free access for all products except arms. AGOA eligibility for US market. Preferential access is strong for an LDC.
Non-tariff barriers
5
Limited SPS certification infrastructure. Vanilla export controls and minimum price regulations create market distortion. Phytosanitary compliance capacity is weak.
Supply chain traceability
7
Vanilla supply chain is extremely fragmented with thousands of smallholders. Mica and sapphire chains are largely informal. Farm-level traceability is rare outside pilot programmes.
Labour & Social Risk
Labour & Social Risk
- TVPRA listings
- US Department of Labor TVPRA list includes Madagascar for vanilla, sapphires, and mica produced with child labour. Vanilla harvesting and curing involve children in the SAVA region. Mica mining is extremely dangerous, with documented child labour in artisanal operations.
- Vanilla supply chain
- The vanilla supply chain is highly fragmented — thousands of smallholder farmers sell through layers of intermediaries. Traceability from cured bean back to specific farm is extremely difficult. This fragmentation creates significant forced and child labour audit blind spots.
- Mica mining
- Artisanal mica mining in southern Madagascar involves hazardous conditions including tunnel collapse risk, respiratory disease, and child labour. Mica enters global supply chains for cosmetics, automotive paint, and electronics. Due diligence is severely constrained by informality.
Governance & Regulatory Exposure
Governance & Regulatory Exposure
- Corruption perception
- Transparency International CPI score of 26/100, indicating very high perceived corruption. Customs procedures, licensing, and land tenure are particularly affected. Bribery risk is elevated across government interactions.
- EU EBA tariff access
- Madagascar benefits from the EU Everything But Arms (EBA) scheme as an LDC, granting duty-free and quota-free access for all exports except arms. This is the primary tariff framework for EU-bound goods.
- Deforestation & EUDR
- Over 90% of Madagascar's original forest cover has been lost. Slash-and-burn agriculture (tavy) is the primary driver. Vanilla, clove, and cocoa cultivation on recently deforested land creates EUDR exposure for EU importers of these commodities.
Supply Chain Traceability
Supply Chain Traceability
- Vanilla traceability
- Some larger vanilla exporters have begun GPS-tagging farmer plots and implementing blockchain-based traceability systems, but coverage is limited. The majority of vanilla traded internationally lacks farm-level traceability.
- Sapphire & gemstone chains
- Artisanal sapphire mining is largely informal. Gemstones pass through multiple intermediaries in Antsirabe and Antananarivo before export. Chain-of-custody documentation is minimal. Country-of-origin verification is unreliable.