Giving credit to Ethiopia's forest-friendly farmers
We help farmers protect the forest for future generations
Rapid deforestation and degradation have significantly reduced forest cover across Ethiopia. With ecosystems, water supplies and the livelihoods of rural communities coming under threat, Farm Africa is working hard to help farmers protect this precious natural resource.
The Bale Eco-region is one of the areas most threatened by deforestation. An ecological ‘hotspot’, 1.6 million people rely on its forest products and agriculture to earn a living. The prognosis is bleak. Based on historic rates of deforestation, an additional 84,150 hectares of forest are predicted to be lost by 2031. That’s 135,725 football pitches! Urgent action is needed to reverse this trend.
Farm Africa has worked in the Bale Eco-region since 2006. Our aim is to help local farmers earn a decent living while protecting the precious forest in which they live. To do this, we help people learn about the production of forest-friendly products like coffee and honey. We also help communities organise conservation activities that will help preserve their surroundings for future generations.
And that’s just the beginning. As well as promoting sustainable businesses, we are also helping local people earn money from ‘carbon credits’, as part of a scheme called REDD+. This scheme gives financial reward for every tonne of carbon emissions prevented by conservation activities.
With an impressive 5.5 million tonnes verified so far, credits can be bought by companies across the world as a means of offsetting their own carbon footprint.
Shared between Bale’s forest management cooperatives (80%) and the Ethiopian government (20%), this income will support the development of national conservation policy, whilst also enabling Bale’s farmers to invest in their forest-friendly businesses.
For coffee growers, this could help buy the drying beds and washing machines they need to improve the quality and value of their coffee beans. Such investment means that farmers can grow their incomes and build more financially secure futures. What better motivation could there be for Bale’s farmers to come together and protect their precious forest for future generations?
Stories from our work
Read more highlights from our work to find out how with your support, we are giving farmers in eastern Africa the chance to take control of their own futures.
