In a world of monoculture cash crops, an innovative African project is persuading farmers to plant biodiverse forest gardens that nourish families, protect soil and expand bark .
did it tree for the future (TREES) Are there any unusual examples of large-scale reforestation campaigns that actually work? The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) certainly thinks so, giving it the following status last month: World Restoration Flagship.
Since its founding in 2015, the program has planted tens of millions of trees each year in nine countries, from Senegal and Mali to Tanzania and Kenya. A total of more than 41,000 hectares, roughly seven times the size of Manhattan, were reportedly restored in less than a decade.
This includes parts of the African Union. great wall of china It plans an 8,000km-wide vegetation barrier to stop the encroachment of desert across the Sahel region. Organizers say it will be the largest natural structure on Earth, but there is still considerable work in progress.
Trees for the Future has ambitious plans to use tree planting to fight poverty. The aim is to create 230,000 jobs and plant 1 billion trees by 2030.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said it was no longer enough to simply protect what was left of Africa’s fertile lands; recovery efforts were essential. The continent will be home to a quarter of the world’s population in just over a generation, but many areas have already been reduced to semi-barren, arid land.
“Efforts like TREES play a critical role in reversing decades of ecosystem degradation, pushing back desertification, increasing climate resilience and improving the well-being of farmers and their communities, particularly across the Sahel. Andersen said in announcing the Global Recovery Flagship.
Although there is no doubt about the need for reforestation, there are historical reasons to be skeptical about the effectiveness of such programs. Expectations are often too high.a 2019 survey Suggestions that planting 1 trillion trees around the world could significantly alleviate the climate crisis were later proven to be unrealistic because there is not enough suitable land it was done.
Many governments have launched large-scale tree-planting campaigns, but after the first day or two of promotion, adequate irrigation, protection, and other follow-up efforts are needed to ensure that seeds and seedlings develop into trunks and branches. Ups are rarely done. In many cases, such national initiatives are little more than greenwashing that distracts from much greater deforestation elsewhere.
Kenya, for example, has launched a number of projects. Initiatives in tree planting activities In recent decades, such as the Million Operation Gavisha in 1977, the Tree Campaign in 2006, the Kenya Greening Initiative in 2010, and the National Tree Growth Promotion Campaign in 2022; Lost 11% of tree cover Since 2000.
The situation has stabilized somewhat over the past two years under current president William Ruto, who has declared an annual Arbor Day and set a national goal of planting 15 billion trees and increasing tree cover by the year 2000. Set. 30% by 2032. However, the gains may be short-lived as Mr Ruto recently lifted six years of restrictions. Logging prohibited To promote economic growth. This will put further pressure on the Mau forest, which is already being cleared to make way for tea and wheat plantations. Migori forest invaded by sugar producers. and Nyanza Forest is an expanding area for tobacco farmers.
Protecting native forests is a priority for the Earth’s climate, local biodiversity and local water cycles. These features, built over centuries, cannot be completely replaced by new plantations or restoration projects. But TREES and similar programs can help alleviate ecological and economic problems in already degraded areas.
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In Kesouma, on the shores of Lake Victoria in western Kenya, organizers are supporting 17,000 smallholder farmers with training, seeds, tools and grants to grow monocultures with exposed plots of land that soak up moisture. It states that it is supporting the planting of “forest gardens” in place of “forest gardens.” carbon and nutrients.
The area is divided into 20 smallholder farmer groups, each represented by a head farmer who is paid a monthly stipend of 3,000 Kenyan shillings. All members meet regularly for debriefing, training, and access to tools and seed banks to grow forest gardens. Each plot, averaging 1 hectare, is said to contain approximately 5,800 trees of multiple varieties.
Around the outside, there is a “protective wall” consisting of three layers of Acacia polycantha (white thorns). Behind this is a dense cluster of fast-growing agroforestry trees that can be used for firewood and fodder. The center has a mix of vegetable gardens and orchards with mangoes, avocados, oranges, apples, and other fruits. The aim is to provide enough nutrition to feed a family with a little extra produce to sell at market.
One of the test areas in the Lake Victoria Basin will further boost income with cash from carbon credits provided by US company Katona Climate, based on increases in soil organic carbon measured by experts from the University of Nairobi and the University of Nairobi It is planned that Wangari Maathai Peace and Environment Research Institute.
Monitoring is an important element of any tree planting program, especially maintenance in remote areas. Major projects in China and Africa (including the Great Wall of China) are trying to address this problem by dropping seeds by plane into uninhabited areas. This often resulted in wasted efforts, as the species were often not suitable for the terrain and irrigation was not possible. In that respect, forest gardens seem more promising, although their scope is limited. Farmers typically live in or near fields and have financial incentives to ensure soil quality and healthy growth of a variety of trees.
TREES Kenya Director Vincent Mainga said the project will rapidly scale up with UNEP approval. “This is a massive recovery movement using regenerative agriculture,” he said. “This model is very easy to implement. We spend four years working with farmers. After that, they are able to understand all the components and use what they have learned from our technicians to typically It will be able to produce a prosperous farmland that is self-sustaining.”
