Advisory Board

Olivier Behra has a background as a biologist from the National Museum of Natural History of Paris for which he conducted wildlife surveys in central African countries and as an advisor for CITES. He started to work in Madagascar for the United Nations at the end of the 1980’s and then created the non-profit organization Man And The Environment in 1993. The aim of the organization has since been to show that human development can be compatible with biodiversity conservation and can indeed support it. Olivier is at the origin of the creation of 5 conservation zones in Madagascar and supported many conservation projects in more than 20 countries around the world.

In 2000 Olivier followed training at Purdue University on aromatic and medicinal plants and developed an expertise in natural active ingredients for the cosmetic industry working with large companies like Chanel, Yves Rocher, Dessange, etc.

Olivier’s work was saluted at the Nagoya conference in 2010 for his help to edit a book on traditional knowledge of medicinal plants for the Vohimana area of Madagascar. He helped the edition of another one for the Virachey forest in the north of Cambodia and wrote a cartoon (in French) on an adventure in Honduras to illustrate the dramatic link between narco traffic and deforestation in central America.

Convinced that the private sector has to play a leading role for sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity Olivier founded 20 years ago the social business Aroma Forest in Madagascar, which essential oil exports are generating incomes for thousands of rural people and the cosmetic brand ELEPHAS Paris which is the first brand in the world dedicated to elephants conservation supporting local women involvement into their habitat conservation.

Olivier’s Website:
homme-environnement.org