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{{Short description|French missionary and agronomist (1920–1995)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Henri de Laulanié
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date |1920|02|22}}
| birth_place = [[Poitou]], [[France]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1995|06|23|1920|02|22}}
| death_place = [[Madagascar]]
| nationality =
| other_names =
| occupation =
| years_active =
| known_for = Developing the [[rice]] cultivation method [[System of Rice Intensification|SRI]]
| notable_works = Rice in Madagascar: A Developing Dialogue with Farmers<ref name=rice/>
}}
'''Henri de Laulanié''' was a French [[missionary]] and [[agronomist]]. From [[Poitou]], [[France]], he joined the [[Society of Jesus]] and spent most of his [[Jesuit]] life working with rice farmers in [[Madagascar]], where he developed the [[rice]] cultivation method known as the [[System of Rice Intensification]] (SRI).

==Life==
Henri de Laulanié de Sainte-Croix was trained as an agronomist at [[Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon|Institut National Agronomique]] in Paris, from which he graduated in 1938,<ref>See for instance “Annuaire des diplômés AgroParisTech 2014”, p. 379.</ref> and gained knowledge of the physiology of rice [[Tiller (botany)|tillering]] from a document capitalising on rice yield components analysis published by the French NGO [[Groupe de Recherches et d'Echanges Technologiques]] (GRET), which mentioned the work of the Japanese scientist Katayama on the rice phyllochrones<ref name=rice>{{cite book| authorlink = Henri de Laulanié| title =Rice in Madagascar, a developing dialogue with farmers| publisher =Karthala| date =2003| location =Paris| pages =284| isbn = 978-2845864153}} Page 66. The GRET document's title is “L’analyse de l’élaboration du rendement du riz” and was edited in January 1987 by a young French agronomist, himself from the same institution as de Laulanié, promotion 1983</ref> published in 1951.

He arrived on Madagascar in 1961, at the age of 41. As rice was the staple food of the [[Malagasy people]], he set about trying to help farmers increase their rice production. He continued his efforts at improving rice cultivation until his death 34 years later at the age of 75. [[System of Rice Intensification]] (SRI) was first developed in 1983, but was not fully tested until some years later. His discovery of SRI was publicized in his book ''Rice in Madagascar''.<ref>{{cite book| authorlink = Henri de Laulanié| title =Rice in Madagascar, a developing dialogue with farmers| publisher =Karthala| date =2003| location =Paris| pages =284| isbn = 978-2845864153}}</ref>

SRI is based on four principles:
1. Establishing plants early and quickly, to favor healthy and vigorous root and vegetative plant growth.
2. Maintaining low plant density to allow optimal development of each individual plant and to minimize competitions between plants for nutrients, water and sunlight.
3. Enriching soils with organic matter to improve nutrient and water holding capacity, increase microbial life in the soil, and to provide a good substrate for roots to grow and develop,
4. Reducing and controlling the application of water, providing only as much water as necessary for optimal plant development and to favor aerobic soil conditions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sri.ciifad.cornell.edu/aboutsri/FAQs.html|title=System of Rice Intensification - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)|website=sri.ciifad.cornell.edu|access-date=2017-10-18}}</ref>

The System of Rice Intensification was later adopted by over 55 countries around the world and has improved food security for millions of small holder rice farmers.<ref>[http://sri.ciifad.cornell.edu/images/global/SRI_World_Map_2016.png SRI World Map 2016] ciifad.cornell.edu</ref>

de Laulanié died in Madagascar in 1995. His grave is located in the cemetery at [[Ambohipo]], [[Madagascar]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://cfgr.wordpress.com/le-fondateur|title=LE FONDATEUR|date=2013-09-09|work=COURS de FORMATION GENERALE pour ADULTES RURAUX|access-date=2017-10-18|language=fr-FR}}</ref>

== Agricultural school==
[[File:SRI Field2.JPG|thumb|200px|right|SRI field]]
In 1981, de Laulanié founded the [[agricultural]] school General Training Course for Rural Adults (Cours de Formation Generale pour Adultes Ruraux – CFGR) at [[Antsirabe]] to help educate the young.<ref name="cfgr.wordpress.com">{{Cite web|url=https://cfgr.wordpress.com/|title=COURS de FORMATION GENERALE pour ADULTES RURAUX|website=COURS de FORMATION GENERALE pour ADULTES RURAUX|language=fr-FR|access-date=2017-10-18}}</ref> He had earlier taught agriculture at the [[Institut National d'Horticulture et de Paysage]] in [[Angers]], [[France]]. After arriving in Madagascar he set to work at devising courses suited to the local farmers, and implemented his vision through CFGR after 19 years of experience, devising a course plan that included physics, chemistry, economics, and sociology. He had acquired experience for such an effort while in Angers, training those released from military service to pass the entrance exam at the university. He founded CFGR to train rural youth and adults to be proud of their peasant identity and rural origins. This was in response to the curriculum in other such schools which he believed to be insensitive to the farmers' difficult situation.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://cfgr.wordpress.com/objectifs/|title=OBJECTIFS|date=2013-09-09|work=COURS de FORMATION GENERALE pour ADULTES RURAUX|access-date=2017-10-18|language=fr-FR}}</ref>

The school now offers correspondence courses for adults who lack the opportunity for an education,<ref name="cfgr.wordpress.com"/> especially in the areas of [[Antananarivo]], Mahitsy, Fihaonana, Andriampamaky, [[Mampikony]], Ambohibary-Sambaina, Tsaravavaka-Antsirabe, [[Ambositra]], Ivato, and Anjomà-Nandihizana, Madagascar.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.srimadagascar.com/les-centres-de-formation/|title=Les centres de formation|website=OPERATION SRI Madagascar|language=fr-FR|access-date=2017-10-18}}</ref> CFGR is a member of World Relations Board for Training Farmers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bimtt.org/index.php/cfgr-ffat|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927020711/http://www.bimtt.org/index.php/cfgr-ffat|url-status=dead|title=Archived copy|archive-date=27 September 2016|website=www.bimtt.org}}</ref>

==See also==
* [http://sri.ciifad.cornell.edu/aboutsri/origin/index.html Origin of SRI system.]
*[http://www.tefysaina.org/Biographie.htm Biography (in French)]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Laulanie, Henri de}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:1995 deaths]]
[[Category:French Roman Catholic missionaries]]
[[Category:Jesuit missionaries in Madagascar]]
[[Category:20th-century French Jesuits]]
[[Category:French emigrants to Madagascar]]
[[Category:French agronomists]]
[[Category:20th-century agronomists]]

Henri de Laulanié - Revision history

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