Resilience through Agroforestry

In the words our our Agroforestry Coordinator, Muvi Yalala, “Planter des arbres, c’est bien. Planter des arbres dans un système agroforestier, c’est encore mieux!” (Planting trees is good. Planting trees in an agroforestry system is even better!).

Why is this? We believe in the transformative power of integrating trees within agricultural landscapes.

While monoculture simplifies harvesting and boosts short-term profitability, it has the potential to inflict irreversible environmental damage, including biodiversity loss and soil depletion. Embracing an agroforestry approach not only enriches soil health and biodiversity but also enhances resilience to climatic challenges while increasing crop yields. Our project champions agroforestry as a sustainable solution to slash-and-burn agriculture threatening primary and secondary forests bordering and within the Reserve. By supporting local farmers to adopt sustainable practices, we aim to restore soil fertility and foster community resilience while preserving precious forest habitats for the okapi and other species that share its forest home.

As we navigate through the dry season, our team has been diligently engaged in distributing peanut and rice seeds to communities, collecting bean harvests, and monitoring field preparation across our six sites to support future bountiful harvests.