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We train community leaders in agroforestry using Inga trees, planted in rows (alley-cropping) with crops between. This method maintains long-term soil health and eliminates the need for frequent forest burning, benefiting both farmers and the environment.
Categories
Beneficiaries
Situation
Slash-and-burn agriculture is a major contributor to deforestation and CO2 emissions in Africa and South America. It is the biggest cause of forest loss in Africa. It is detrimental to communities who have to burn new plots every couple of years, as soil fertility declines. Young people leave for cities or turn to poaching for ivory or bush meat to sell. The result is a damaging cycle of environmental and societal decline.
Solution
We educate farmers in the Inga alley cropping technique, an agroforestry method that maintains soil fertility year-after-year. Inga trees are planted in rows with crops in-between. This fertilizer-free method eliminates the need to slash and burn new plots. We establish nurseries and work with community leaders and individual farmers to establish and maintain the technique.