ADES

Supporting Member of the Lemur Conservation Network

What We Do

What if a stove could save a forest?

At ADES, that’s exactly what we’re proving in Madagascar. By combining fuel-efficient stoves with reforestation and environmental education, we tackle deforestation at its roots. The result is that thousands of families benefit from green jobs, reduced poverty, and healthier ecosystems.

Like Madagascar’s lemurs, our stoves have become an iconic symbol of forest preservation in Madagascar. Our stoves cut wood use in half and are making ADES a key contributor, helping to give lemurs a fighting chance to survive.

ADES’ story is similar to other organizations in Madagascar. Our founder returned to Madagascar in 2001 after two decades and saw forests disappearing at an unsustainable rate. ADES was born from that shock and the determination to protect the people, the forests, and the lemurs of this island nation.

How We Protect Lemurs and Other Wildlife

Stove Manufacturing

ADES is working to change the way Malagasy people see their forests. Manufacturing efficient stoves in Madagascar provides green jobs that help both the people and the environment. Green jobs help people see the forests as something to protect, rather than a resource to burn. And efficient stoves also help to protect lemur’s habitat by reducing the demand for cooking fuel by more than 50%.

Reforestation

ADES funds and educates local NGOs and community groups who have a vested interest in ensuring the preservation and restoration of the future of Madagascar’s forests.

Environmental Education

ADES’ environmental education program teaches children why it’s so important to protect their forests. The lessons teach children about forest ecology, the seasonal changes, and about deforestation. At the end of the program, ADES pays for a field trip to a protected forest so the children can see what forests around their home will look like in the future.

Left: Students playing a game to learn about Madagascar’s environment in Toliara. Right: Reforestation nursery preparing trees to plant in the Farafangana region.

What Lemur Species We Protect

Because ADES stoves are sold throughout Madagascar, our work provides protection for all species of lemurs.

How We Support Local Communities

Green Jobs

ADES creates green jobs from our stove manufacturing operations and sales locations in Madagascar. These jobs reduce poverty and create a better quality of life for Malagasy families.

School Kitchens

Another project that is increasing in popularity is the efficient school kitchens that reduce fuel cost/consumption, create healthier work environments, and reduce the time required to prepare meals for hungry students. Solar water heaters, efficient stoves and insulated rice cookers help to save 80% of the fuel when compared with traditional cooking methods.

Environmental Awareness

ADES sales team and independent resellers raise awareness within the communities where they work to educate people about the importance of ADES stoves and how they benefit the environment and help save the forests.

Environmental Education

Another aspect of “awareness” is our environmental education program that teaches teachers about the program we have created for primary school students. Not only does this program educate children, it also educates families and communities when the children talk about what they learned in school.

Local Resellers and Women

Independent resellers sell a majority of ADES stoves in their communities, both urban and rural. Increased sales of ADES stoves show how the resellers are successfully educating their local communities about the benefits of efficient cooking.

With over 60% of all resellers being women, ADES has provided new opportunities for women to help support their families.