Last week, Chris Reij, Sustainable Land Management Specialist and Senior Fellow at the World Resources Institute (WRI), discussed the contribution of Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration to both addressing concerns related to climate change and food security. Set in the context of President Obama’s trip last week to Africa and his recent announcement of a U.S. Climate Action Plan, the post explains the history and benefits of this large-scale tree planting effort. His insights, however, into the policy challenge associated with coordinated sustainable land management practices, and the imperative for participation and cooperation of multiple stakeholders, resonate with the principles of integrated landscape management. Below is an excerpt from the article originally posted on the WRI Insights on June 27, 2013.
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Re-greening—a process where African farmers manage and protect trees that grow on their farms, rather than cutting them down—is already beginning to transform the continent’s drylands. Supporting and scaling up the low-tech process can not only increase crop yields in drought-prone regions, it can mitigate climate change and reduce rural poverty.
The Benefits of Farmer-Managed Re-greening
Hundreds of millions of additional trees across Africa’s agricultural landscapes sequester significant quantities of carbon dioxide. By increasing the number of on-farm trees, farmers in Niger and other nations are helping to mitigate climate change.
At the same time, increased tree density on farms helps farmers adapt to the effects of climate change and increase food security. On-farm trees reduce wind speed and produce shade for crops, reducing loss of water through evaporation. The added leaf litter also helps replenish organic matter in the soil and increase moisture-holding capacity, boosting soil fertility and crop yields. Niger, for example, faced a significant national grain deficit in 2012 due to erratic rainfall in 2011. Meanwhile, Niger researchers found that a district with high on-farm tree densities had produced a grain surplus of almost 14,000 tons in 2011.
Farmers also tend to protect particular species of trees that provide benefits beyond the cropland. These trees can produce fodder for livestock, as well as wood for cooking, home construction, and for sale in local markets. The integration of trees into farming systems contributes to the sustainable intensification and diversification of agricultural production, along with increased household incomes and resilience to climate change.
Scaling Up Re-greening in Africa
Much has been done to boost re-greening in the Sahel, but much more remains to be done. There is ample opportunity for increasing the number of on-farm trees as well as the diversity of trees throughout Africa’s drylands.
A major challenge is devising policies and legislation that stimulate tens of millions of farmers to invest in protecting and managing on-farm trees. Working with farmers to increase the number of on-farm trees can be one of the most cost-effective ways to boost crop production and to scale up “climate smart” agricultural practices that directly contribute to increased food and livelihood security for Africa’s smallholder farmers. The World Resources Institute and its partners are now developing a strategy for scaling re-greening successes based on experience already gained in the Sahel and other regions.
But really growing Africa’s re-greening requires cooperation from multiple stakeholders. Global leaders like President Obama, ministers of agriculture and forestry, NGOs supporting rural and agricultural development, and other decision makers can engage with African farmers to identify key interventions and scale up successes. President Obama and his team, for example, have developed “Feed the Future,” a global anti-hunger and food security initiative. This strategy can achieve some of its goals more quickly and cost-effectively if it supports the development of another kind of Green Revolution—one that helps farmers increase the number of trees in their farming systems and restores the productivity of degraded lands.
Agroforestry is a key opportunity to improve food security and spur climate change mitigation and adaptation. Farmers in Tigray, Ethiopia have told me and others that “trees are our backbone.” They are right. There is no future for agriculture in many drylands around the world without an increase in the number of on-farm trees.
Read More:
Learning from African Farmers: How “Re-Greening” Boosts Food Security; Curbs Climate Change – WRI Insights
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