Project Update: Agroforestry in Kaffrine

NewsAfricaPlanting

28 Mar

Written By International Tree Foundation

ITF have received a mid-term report from Trees for the Future on the development of the Kaffrine Agroforestry Project and we are delighted to announce that the initiative has already made great progress.

The community-based agroforestry programme is sited in the Kaffrine Region of Senegal where the agrarian population is afflicted by rampant poverty, malnutrition and a deteriorating environment.

ITF’s in-country partner, Trees for the Future, are working with local farmers to improve their standard of living and conserve the environment through the planting of beneficial tree species and the development of sustainable agroforestry systems.

Training and Planting

Initial efforts on this programme have been directed towards running workshops and training sessions, as well planting out trees that had been grown by Trees for the Future in the 2011 nursery season. Since the start of this initiative in August 2011, the project has delivered a round of five workshops to educate farmers on proper out-planting techniques and maintenance of the seedlings after they are planted in the field.

After the initial workshops, project leaders conducted follow-up visits with the participating farmers for monitoring and evaluation, technical support, and sharing of the lessons learned. An additional workshop was held on January 26th, 2012, which covered seed collection and storage. Over 20 individuals participated in the workshops and were able to understand the importance of environmental restoration as a means towards increasing their food security. After the August workshops, the participants continued maintaining their community nurseries until the rains arrived.

Out of the 102,000 seeds of over 12 varieties that were planted in the nurseries, over 84,000 trees were out-planted by 83 farmers in the region.

The workshops laid the groundwork for Kaffrine’s 2012 nursery season, which starts in March. Seed collection is ongoing and additional seeds that have been impossible or difficult to acquire in sufficient quantity will be purchased. In late February and early March, a round of 5 workshops on tree nursery creation and maintenance will be held.