Forestry

Many African forests are under serious threat from logging and fuelwood collection, conversion into farmland and pastures, fire, mining and oil exploration.

Forests provide a major source of income and food for millions of families living in rural Africa.

When deforestation occurs, income opportunities for local communities are lost, biodiversity, carbon stocks and other ecosystem services degrade, and the resilience of the entire socio-ecological system is compromised.

Farm Africa brings together local communities and local government to share responsibility for developing sustainable plans for the forests.

We've been developing our approach to participatory forest management (PFM) for more than 20 years. It is a form of forest management that relies on formalised agreements between local communities and government. These agreements set out management responsibilities and arrangements for all people making a living from the forest, and ensure that its benefits are shared equally.

The hallmark of our PFM approach is the emphasis on the simultaneous promotion of resource management and enterprise development. We focus on giving local people an economic incentive to sustainably manage and protect forests.

Protecting biodiversity

In return for protecting precious biodiversity, communities are allowed to harvest the forest in a sustainable way, making use of forest resources such as: