Every time Jean-d’Arc Sambou sets foot in his vegetable garden in desertification-stricken central Senegal, he feels uplifted when he sees this green oasis.
“When you enter the garden and open the gate, you enter with joy,” Sunbow said during a break from drawing water from the well. “I never thought I would be able to do all the things I have done here.”
Sunbou is one of tens of thousands of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa who have established tree-dotted “forest gardens” with support from the nonprofit Trees for the Future (TREES) . Stakeholders say the initiative helps diversify food and income sources, build family resilience and halt land degradation.
In recognition of its benefits to people and nature, the initiative was recently named a United Nations Global Recovery Flagship. The award is part of the United Nations Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, which aims to highlight efforts to restore the natural world.
“Efforts like TREES play a critical role in reversing decades of ecosystem degradation, pushing back desertification, increasing climate resilience and improving the well-being of farmers and their communities, especially across the Sahel. We are fulfilling our mission,” said UN Secretary-General Inger Andersen. Environmental Program (UNEP). UNEP is coordinating the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
building resilience
Land degradation, known as dryland desertification, affects communities across sub-Saharan Africa. Declining soil fertility is hurting crop yields and livelihoods, as well as countries’ ability to feed rapidly growing populations. Amid fears that climate change will exacerbate the problem, Africa is fighting back through restoration efforts such as TREES and the massive Great Wall Project.
TREES’ “Forest Garden” model combines sustainable farming practices with agroforestry, which incorporates trees and shrubs into farming systems. The goal is to increase soil fertility and increase yields for smallholder farmers. Experts say this is critical to combating poverty and helping communities become more resilient to the effects of climate change, such as droughts, floods and storms.
Over four years, families participating in the TREES program receive training, seeds, and tools to establish a forest garden on a small plot of land.
Since 2014, the initiative reportedly has supported 50,000 families in Kenya, Mali, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda.
As a global recovery flagship, TREES will be able to receive technical and financial support from the United Nations. TREES officials said they aim to restore 2,290 square kilometers by 2030.
Because trees remove carbon dioxide from the air, the initiative is expected to capture 80 million tons of greenhouse gases over 20 years.
Stable supply
TREES reports that more than 1,000 families, including Sunbou’s, are being assisted in the Fatick region, about 120 kilometers southeast of Dakar.
Many of Fatik’s farmers rely on a single growing season for rain-fed crops such as groundnuts and millet, making them susceptible to the vagaries of both climate and market prices.
Forest gardens are designed to provide a year-round supply of fruit, vegetables, and other resources such as timber and firewood for home use and sale.
The garden offsets local deforestation by regreening the landscape. We also contribute to global efforts to conserve biodiversity, combat climate change and improve soil health. TREES says its projects have already planted 100 million trees around the world.
The initiative is also helping to stem the migration of young people from Senegal’s rural communities, said Fatoumata Dihiou, TREES regional coordinator in Fatick.
“People who find a job in their country or their region will not go elsewhere,” Dihiou said.
life insurance
In his neat garden beds, Sunbou grows vegetables such as cabbage, potatoes and onions, as well as hibiscus, a red flower commonly used in West Africa to flavor jellies, jams and drinks.
“We no longer buy onions, peppers and other vegetables. The forest garden has given us everything,” she said.
Not everything was smooth sailing. The first year, hungry livestock broke through Sunbow’s fence and destroyed the crops. Now she’s reinforcing the border with prickly branches cut from acacia trees, whose leaves and roots also provide nutrients to the soil.
“I take care of my garden the same way I take care of my children,” she said.
The skills her family has acquired are a form of insurance against whatever happens in the future.
“The kids know everything I do in the garden,” Sunbow said. “So my children won’t suffer if I’m not there today or tomorrow.”
About the United Nations Decade of Ecosystem Restoration
The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2021 to 2030 as the United Nations Decade for Ecosystem Restoration. Led by the United Nations Environment Program and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, with the support of partners, it aims to prevent, halt and reverse ecosystem loss and degradation around the world. It aims to restore billions of hectares, covering not only terrestrial but also aquatic ecosystems. A global call to action, the United Nations Decade mobilizes political support, scientific research and financial strength to scale up recovery at scale.
