Rare-earth mining in Madagascar is an example of neocolonialism in the name of the green transition driven by the Global North countries. The impact of raw materials mining on resource-rich territories in the Global South is added to the historical debt of the colonial and extractivist legacy. The energy and digital transition is driven by green extractivism.
As the climate crisis accelerates, the green transition has become something of a catchphrase. At the same time, polarisation is rising along with the advancement of digital capitalism, and securitization is back on the agendas of the world powers. In this context, and in a world with finite resources, control of raw materials is key. This report arises from the perceived need to shed light on both who stands to benefit and who pays the price of the new rush for raw materials, and the global dynamics accelerating these processes in the name of the transition to a “green” and low-carbon world.
It aims to build upon previous work by the Debt Observatory in Globalisation (ODG) in producing a critical analysis of the energy transition and its corporate capture (for instance, lithium mining in Chile and Argentinai), as well as work carried out with international allies under the umbrella of the Rare Earth Elements Group. This research falls under the framework of the Critical Minerals Observatory, cocreated by the ODG as members of ENCO.
In July 2024, two members of ODG travelled to Madagascar on a fact-finding mission to deepen understanding of the experiences of communities on the front line of potential Rare Earths mining projects in the country. This fieldwork was done in collaboration with (and would not have been possible without) the local organisation CRAAD-OI (Research and Support Centre for Development Alternatives – Indian Ocean). The information contained in this report is based on more than 18 interviews with communities, traditional leaders, activists and researchers from the country
In the first section, we outline the global reality of Rare Earth Elements (REE) in the context of the so-called “green” transition and the factors lying behind the new push for raw materials. The following section centres on the territories bearing the burden of rare earth extraction in Madagascar, elucidating on how the quest for REE is impacting local peoples and emerging forms of resistance. Thereafter, common patterns are identified in the three cases studied. In section four, the transnational companies behind the projects are identified. The development of resistance against the mining projects is explained in section five. Lastly, the report closes with a number of final reflections.
This report aims to contribute to the conversation about what a truly just global socio-ecological transition could look like. It shines a spotlight on the contradictions of a system that purportedly strives to bring down emissions without tackling global inequalities. What interests lie behind this new rush for raw materials? Is it the planet, or capitalism on a new stage?
The publication is available in Catalan, Spanish, English, French, and soon, in malgaix.
‘Land for living’. Short documentary
In addition to the report, the research team has also produced a short documentary, in collaboration with the audiovisual cooperative Bruna. ‘Land for living’ (‘Les terres, per viure’, 2025) portrays some of the voices collected during the fieldwork from the north to the south of the island of Madagascar. It follows the impacts of the Rare-Earths minining, and visibilizes the resistance of local communities. In Madagascar, there is currently an existing Rare-Earths mine, in Tolagnaro, and two inactive projects, in Toliara and in the Ampasindava peninsula.
The short film is available in Malagasy, with Catalan, Spanish, English and French subtitles.
“it is a fake narrative, when they say that the energy transition is the perfect world, because someone, somewhere, have to pay for it with their life and their blood”.