Leslie Sattler of The Cool Down writes about an initiative to plant trees in Africa.
- Trees for the Future (TREES) is a massive tree-planting initiative supporting smallholder farmers across 9 African countries to restore over 41,000 hectares of land with diverse “forest gardens” since 2015.
- The nonprofit provides training, seeds, tools and grants to help farmers ditch monocultures for lush, biodiverse plots integrating trees, vegetables and fruits that improve soil health and food security.
- By 2030, TREES aims to create 230,000 jobs and plant 1 billion trees, contributing to the African Union’s “Great Green Wall” initiative to reforest the Sahel region.
“So, how does it work? TREES supports smallholder farmers with training, seeds, tools, and grants to grow ‘forest gardens’ instead of tired old monocultures. Supporting biodiversity helps to protect the health of the soil. Groups of farmers get regular support from lead farmers to nurture plots with around 5,800 diverse trees on just one hectare (2.5 acres).”
Read the full article here.
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