Biodiversity Conservation Madagascar
Welcomes You!
Who We Are?
Biodiversity Conservation Madagascar (BCM) was established in 2002 as the conservation branch of the Bioculture (Mauritius) Ltd, as part of its corporate social responsibility program. The choice of Madagascar was a natural one, stemming from the deep passion of the Group's leaders, Owen and Mary Ann Griffiths, who fell in love with the country while studying there in 1975.
BCM's main mission is to protect Madagascar's natural habitats and its rich biodiversity, which are severely threatened by deforestation and other human activities. Since its inception, BCM's activities have been financially supported by the Bioculture Group. Recently, the Griffiths Family Trust has also joined in to help strengthen BCM's efforts.
Our mission is a long-term commitment, and we continue to seek support from potential partners who share our vision and goals.
The success and sustainability of the conservation efforts supported by the Bioculture Group rely on the trust in the capability and experience of the Malagasy team at BCM, as well as excellent collaborations with local and international partners. Raising collective awareness among communities about the need to preserve Madagascar's unique wildlife and flora, along with the various stakeholders in the conservation field, requires significant commitment and the provision of necessary and sufficient resources.
Owen Griffiths of Bioculture, who is also the Chairman of BCM, always makes time in his busy annual schedule for regular meetings in Madagascar. During these meetings, he discusses the activity plans and future prospects with the local staff, reviews the past periods, observes the on-ground realities, and whenever possible, spends time exploring the forests.
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Our Partners
We couldn't have achieved these conservation milestones without our incredible partners. A heartfelt thank you to all our sponsors for
making it all possible!
Biodiversity Conservation Madagascar (BCM) was founded by Bioculture (Mauritius) Ltd (Bioculture) which continues to provide significant financial support to the organisation, in line with its corporate social responsibility policies.
Bioculture is a Mauritian company supplying ethically bred long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) for biomedical research. Long-tailed macaques, which originate from Southeast Asia, were introduced to Mauritius in the 17th century and rapidly proliferated in the wild, posing a threat to the island's indigenous fauna and flora. The damage caused to Mauritius' native biodiversity is so consequential that authorities have classified it as a pest.
Bioculture was established to transform this pest into a resource, recognizing that, the long-tailed macaque, whilst constituting a threat to the island's biodiversity, was highly valued by the scientific community for advancing therapies and medicines capable of saving millions of human lives. Macaca fascicularis, also referred to as cynomolgus monkeys, serve as a formidable animal model for biometrical research and have contributed to the development of the polio vaccine, Copaxone for multiple sclerosis, the Ebola vaccine, COVID-19 vaccines, and treatments for diabetes, cancer, and hemophilia, among many others.
Since its creation in 1985, Bioculture's founders have placed a strong emphasis on ethics and the well-being of both the animals and employees. The company is highly regarded among the scientific community for the high quality of cynomolgus monkeys it supplies. Bioculture's commitment to society and the environment extends beyond its internal operations. In line with its mission to contribute to the public good, Bioculture has continuously over the years, invested a percentage of its yearly profits into conservation projects aimed at protecting endemic and indigenous biodiversity.
As Mauritius does not have indigenous primates, Bioculture turned to Madagascar, where lemurs - also part of the Primate Order - are threatened with extinction. This led to the launch of conservation projects in Madagascar since 2002 through Biodiversity Conservation Madagascar. While Bioculture also supports conservation and social projects in Mauritius, its efforts to preserve Madagascar's forests highlight its deep connection to primates and reinforce a genuine consistency in its corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Courtesy of Acumen Media
