In an era where single-crop farming dominates, a groundbreaking initiative in Africa is encouraging farmers to grow biodiverse forest gardens that provide food for their families, preserve the land, and increase tree population.
Is TREES, a mass reforestation campaign, a rare successful case? The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) seems to think so, as it recently recognized it as a World Restoration Flagship.
Since it was founded in 2015, the programme has planted tens of millions of trees each year in nine countries ranging from Senegal and Mali to Tanzania and Kenya. In less than 10 years, it has reportedly restored a combined area of more than 41,000 hectares, which is about seven times the size of Manhattan.
This involves a portion of the Great Green Wall project by the African Union, which aims to build a 8,000km-wide barrier of plants to prevent the spread of deserts in the Sahel region. The organizers claim that this will be the biggest natural formation on Earth, although it is still under construction.
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According to Inger Andersen, the executive director of UNEP, a strong dedication to restoring the environment is crucial. She emphasized that it is no longer sufficient to simply preserve what little remains of Africa’s fertile land. With a quarter of the world’s population expected to reside in Africa within the next generation, many regions have already deteriorated into partially barren drylands.
According to the announcement of the World Restoration Flagship, initiatives such as TREES are crucial in countering years of damage to ecosystems, particularly in the Sahel region. They aim to combat desertification, bolster climate resilience, and enhance the livelihoods of farmers and their communities.
Although reforestation is necessary, there are past events that make one doubt the success of these initiatives. Oftentimes, expectations are unrealistic. For example, a 2019 research claimed that planting one trillion trees could greatly alleviate the effects of the climate crisis, but it was later proven unfeasible due to the lack of suitable land.
Numerous governments have initiated large-scale efforts to plant trees. However, these campaigns typically lack the necessary follow-up measures such as proper irrigation and protection to ensure the successful growth of seeds and saplings into mature trees. In many cases, these national efforts are merely surface-level attempts to divert attention from larger issues of deforestation happening in other areas.
In the past few decades, Kenya has implemented multiple programs to plant trees, such as the 1977 Million Operation Gavisha, the 2006 Trees Campaign, the 2010 Greening Kenya Initiative, and the 2022 Accelerated National Tree Growing Campaign. Despite these efforts, the country’s tree cover has decreased by 11% since 2000.
In the last two years, the state of affairs has improved to some extent under the leadership of current president, William Ruto. Ruto has declared a yearly holiday dedicated to planting trees and set a national goal of planting 15 billion trees and increasing tree coverage to 30% by 2032. However, these achievements may not last long as Ruto recently lifted the six-year ban on logging in order to stimulate economic growth. This decision adds more strain on Mau forest, which is already facing deforestation for the sake of tea and wheat fields; Migori forest, which is being encroached upon by sugar producers; and Nyanza forest, which is expanding to accommodate tobacco plantations.
Preserving primary forests is crucial for the international climate, native wildlife, and local water systems. These critical roles, formed over numerous years, cannot be completely substituted by introducing new forests and rehabilitation initiatives. However, initiatives like TREES can aid in mitigating environmental and financial challenges in areas that have already been damaged.
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In western Kenya, near Lake Victoria, the organizers at Kesouma have helped 17,000 small-scale farmers by providing them with training, seeds, tools, and grants to create “forest gardens” instead of monocultures. These gardens protect their land from exposure and prevent it from losing moisture, carbon, and nutrients.
Twenty smallholders make up each group within the area. Each group is led by a lead farmer who receives a payment of 3,000 Kenyan shillings every month. All members of the group gather regularly for reporting, training, and access to tools and seed banks for the purpose of growing and maintaining a forest garden. On average, each member’s individual plot covers 1 hectare and contains approximately 5,800 trees of various types.
“The outer perimeter consists of a barrier made of three rows of Acacia polyacantha (also known as white thorn). Behind this is a grouping of closely-spaced agroforestry trees that have a fast growth rate and can serve as a source of firewood and fodder. In the center, there is a combination of vegetable gardens and orchards containing mangoes, avocados, oranges, apples, and other fruits. The goal is to produce enough nutritious food to sustain a family, with the potential to sell any excess produce at the market.”
In a specific location within the Lake Victoria region, the University of Nairobi and Wangari Maathai Institute of Peace and Environmental Studies are measuring increases in soil organic carbon with the aim of receiving cash from carbon credits. This additional income will come from Catona Climate, a US-based company.
The monitoring and upkeep of a reforestation program, especially in remote regions, is crucial. Attempts have been made in China and Africa, such as the Great Green Wall, to address this by using aerial seed dispersal in uninhabited areas. However, this approach is often ineffective due to unsuitable species and lack of irrigation. Alternatively, forest gardens show more promise, but their potential is limited. Farmers typically reside near their fields and have a vested interest in maintaining the soil quality and promoting the growth of diverse trees.
Vincent Mainga, the director for Kenya at TREES, expressed that the initiative will have a significant growth trajectory following the approval from UNEP. He described the project as a large-scale effort to restore land through regenerative agriculture. Mainga emphasized the simplicity of adopting this model, which involves working with farmers for a four-year period. By the end of this timeframe, farmers should have a thorough understanding of all its components and the ability to apply techniques from our technicians to create flourishing farmland, often resulting in a surplus. This approach is designed to be self-sustaining.
Source: theguardian.com
