An NPO that trains farmers in sustainable agroforestry practices across sub-Saharan Africa has received a US$21 million investment from a high-impact climate finance company.

The investment, funded by Aspiration, will enable Trees for the Future (TREES) to provide support and training to around 15 000 farmers in and around the Lake Victoria Watershed in western Kenya. The aim is to plant 87 million trees, effectively creating 15 000 ha of regenerative agroforestry land. According to TREES, the restoration effort will generate 4.13 million verified carbon units (VCUs) and help farmers adapt to the impacts of climate. The project is expected to help farmers diversify their crops, and increase sales from an average of two crops up to an average of 24 crops.

‘The average forest garden in this project will be made up of 5 800 trees per hectare, resulting in a total of 4.13 million tons of CO₂ removed from the atmosphere over 20 years,’ TREES notes.

Aspiration will provide a portion of the profits from the sale of the VCUs back to TREES and the farmers involved in the projects.

Founded in 1989, TREES has planted more than 300 million trees with farming communities globally.

28 February 2023
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