Agroforestry: The Path to Prosperity for Rwanda’s Small Farmers

Africa offers the greatest restoration opportunity in the world, with 65% of its land now degraded. The consequence? 3% of the continent’s GDP is lost every year due to soil and nutrient depletion on cropland. This severely affects smallholder farmers whose livelihoods depend on stable weather patterns, healthy soils, ample tree cover and access to water.
However, African restoration champions, such as those at World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) in Rwanda, have proven to us that there is a better way to sustain economic growth while helping local communities restore their land, forests, and natural ecosystems. ICRAF engages smallholder farmers through its model farms, where the partner farmers gain knowledge and skills on sustainable farming to take back to their homes.
ICRAF has received funding from TerraFund for AFR100, which is financing Africa’s top land restoration enterprises and projects. ICRAF is now mobilizing more local communities to restore Eastern Rwanda’s degraded landscapes with a diverse selection of tree species that provide wood, fruit, animal feed, and medicinal value.
Learn more about this program, stewarded by World Resources Institute, at www.africa.terramatch.org.