Agroforestry: saving people and forests
Agroforestry: the integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems to create environmental, economic, and social benefits.
Discovering agroforestry
Agroforestry is a land management approach that combines trees and shrubs with crop and livestock farming systems. It's an essential bridge between agriculture and forestry, providing two potential sources of income to farmers: crops and livestock.
Meet Seri Lehaba
Seri is a 45-year-old, mother of three and president of the women’s association in the village of Gnogboyo in the southwest Nawa region of Côte d'Ivoire. She works with Gishlain Andoh, project manager of Farmstrong in the Nawa region.
Harvested teak (12 September 2019) by UN-REDDUN-REDD
Climate change threat to crops
"People used to cut the trees to make fields to grow cacao. But then the rains disappeared and the flora and fauna,"
Seri Lehaba
Farming in a mirco forestUN-REDD
Planting indigenous trees
"It takes three years to plant a micro-forest, using six different kinds of indigenous trees. In between, villagers can grow bananas and manioc," says Ghislain.
Benefits of a forest
“We are now planting trees in the middle of the village, a one hectare forest, so there will be a place where we can find shade from the harsh sun, and we hope that the animals will return once the forest has grown,” says Seri.
Reforesting a sacred forest (2020)UN-REDD
Benefits of agroforestry
"This project works together with the people living around the forest. While we are replanting trees, they plant banana and cacao under our supervision. The cacao benefits from the shade of trees and the villagers earn income from the bananas and cacao," says Ghislain Andoh.
Children at a water tap, Lazoa, Bas-Sassandra (27 April 2022) by UN-REDDUN-REDD
Bringing the rain back
“This micro-forest will bring the rain back and that means we won’t have to drill so deep to find water for us and the animals."
Learn more
Find out more about the United Nations Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest and how you can get involved.
Read more on agroforestry here.
#BetterWithForests
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