Henri de Laulanie
Encyclopedia
Henri de LaulanieHenri de Laulanie (February 22, 1920 in Poitou
, France
– June 23, 1995 in Madagascar
) was a French
Jesuit father who was responsible for the rice
cultivation method known as the System of Rice Intensification
(SRI).
Father de Laulanie arrived on Madagascar in 1961. As rice was the staple food of the Malagasy people
, he set about trying to help farmers increase their rice production (amongst other crops).
In 1981 de Laulanie founded an agricultural school at Antsirabe
to help educate the young. SRI was first developed in 1983, however the system was not fully tested until some years later.
De Laulanie died in 1995 - his grave is located in the cemetery at Ambohipo
.
Poitou
Poitou was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers.The region of Poitou was called Thifalia in the sixth century....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
– June 23, 1995 in Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
) was a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Jesuit father who was responsible for the rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
cultivation method known as the System of Rice Intensification
System of Rice Intensification
The System of Rice Intensification is a method of increasing the yield of rice produced in farming. It was developed in 1983 by the French Jesuit Father Henri de Laulanie in Madagascar. However full testing of the system did not occur until some years later...
(SRI).
Father de Laulanie arrived on Madagascar in 1961. As rice was the staple food of the Malagasy people
Malagasy people
The Malagasy ethnic group forms nearly the entire population of Madagascar. They are divided into two subgroups: the "Highlander" Merina, Sihanaka and Betsileo of the central plateau around Antananarivo, Alaotra and Fianarantsoa, and the côtiers elsewhere in the country. This division has its...
, he set about trying to help farmers increase their rice production (amongst other crops).
In 1981 de Laulanie founded an agricultural school at Antsirabe
Antsirabe
Antsirabe is the third largest city in Madagascar and has a population of approximately 183,000. It's the capital of the Vakinankaratra region...
to help educate the young. SRI was first developed in 1983, however the system was not fully tested until some years later.
De Laulanie died in 1995 - his grave is located in the cemetery at Ambohipo
Ambohipo
Ambohipo is a town and commune in Madagascar. It belongs to the district of Manandriana, which is a part of Amoron'i Mania Region. The population of the commune was estimated to be approximately 4,000 in 2001 commune census....
.