We wish to support farming communities in Koutiala through an agroforestry scheme to improve their impoverished and desertifying land - bringing environmental benefits from trees planted in the fields, enriching the soil, while improving malnutrition and food security through more plentiful crops.
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Beneficiaries
This part of Mali has more rainfall and was formerly productive, but the soil quality has been destroyed by intensive cotton production. The soil has become too degraded to grow crops and this is now one of the poorest areas because prices of cotton have also fallen. By planting certain tree species the productivity of the land can be revived and desertification reversed, with many environmental benefits. This would restore food production and sustainable rural livelihoods in this area.
By providing nursery-grown saplings for planting in fields, the agricultural land is improved and crop production can be increased. Trees provide shade and compost and protect the agricultural plots from water and wind erosion, which improves soil quality and crop yields, which ensures greater local sources of food and fodder. They are pruned in a such a way that they do not shade crops. The trees generate income to women from the fruits or leaves and livestock fodder from the pods and fruits.
