©FAO -Agroforestry activities

9 April 2024, Nampula & Zambezia- In 2022, the European Union approved FAO´s proposal under the PROMOVE Agribiz project to promote agroforestry systems, with the target to benefit 5,000 farmers who will plant around 1.7 million fruit, timber, and fodder trees in their productive system.

The agroforestry component of PROMOVE Agribiz integrates agroforestry into Farmer Field School (FFS) initiatives in Zambézia and Nampula provinces, targeting four districts (Mocuba, Alto Molocue, Mogovolas and Angoche) with a selection of 245 FFSs via a clustering method.

So far, FAO has trained 245 community-based facilitators on agroforestry systems under the FFS approach across the four districts, and has mobilized farmers and established the groundwork for implementing agroforestry models on their farms. Approximately 5 000 farmer beneficiaries (FFS members) are set to participate and will plant around 1.7 million trees sourced from 37 community nurseries. The agroforestry approach involves planting 337 trees per hectare, encompassing at least six different species.

This initiative will enable farmers to diversify their food sources and income stream, to increase production, access market opportunities and bolster crop resilience, among other benefits for the soil and environment. Agroforestry systems can significantly increase crop production by microclimate regulation, natural disease and pest management control, optimization of resource use, enhanced soil fertility and water conservation. These factors improve the resilience and sustainability of agricultural landscapes, ultimately leading to increased yields for farmers.

Furthermore, by implementing agroforestry practices, farmers contribute to the prevention of deforestation. Agroforestry presents a sustainable alternative to the destructive practice of clear-cutting forests for agriculture.
By integrating trees and crops, it not only helps preserve ecosystems but also contributes to carbon sequestration and provides opportunities for carbon credit initiatives, thus contributing significantly to climate change mitigation and ecosystem restoration efforts.
Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide. It is one method of reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere with the goal of reducing global climate change.
The tree and shrub components of agroforestry practices contribute to carbon sequestration by using carbon dioxide for photosynthesis and storing carbon above ground in tree trunks and branches, as well as below ground in roots and the soil. This carbon can stay in the tree or soil for a long time.