0 FARM FORESTRY AND EVERGREEN AGRICULTURE: GOING TO SCALE TOGETHER IN AFRICA 22 June 2016 Workshop Report UNEP Conference Room 13, Nairobi, Kenya May Muthuri |Mieke Bourne | James Daniel | Winnie Achieng
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FARM FORESTRY AND EVERGREEN AGRICULTURE: GOING TO SCALE TOGETHER
IN AFRICA
22 June 2016
Workshop Report
UNEP Conference Room 13, Nairobi, Kenya
May Muthuri |Mieke Bourne | James Daniel | Winnie Achieng
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Contents
Contents ............................................................................................................................................................. 1
List of Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................................... 2
Session 1: Opening Remarks – Dennis Garrity (UNCCD Drylands Ambassador, EverGreen Agriculture Partnership Chair) ............................................................................................................................ 3
Session 2: Introduction - Jhony Zapata (Forest Farm Facility Forestry Officer) ................................................. 4
Session 3: Vision 2030 and Target of Recovering 10% Forest Cover: The Role of Farm Forest Smallholders - Oscar Simanto (Kenya Forest Service) ........................................................................................ 4
Session 4: County Government Role in Forest Restoration and Farm Forestry ................................................. 6
1. County Government of Baringo, the Importance to Support Smallholders in the County – Emmanuel .............................................................................................................. 6
2. County Government of Nakuru, the Importance to Support Smallholders in the County – Mary Nyamu .......................................................................................................... 7
3. Farm Forestry Smallholders Producer Association of Kenya (FF-SPAK), its Importance to Achieve the Target of Recovering Forest Cover – Geoffrey Wanyama (CEO FF-SPAK) ................................................................................................................................ 7
4. Nakuru Tree Nurseries Association (NCTNA), generating income for the Families by Making Sustainable Business with Tree Nurseries – Charles Wagura Macharia (NCTNA Chair) 8
Session 5: An Introduction to the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) and Partner Programmes Strengthening Forest and Farm Producer Organizations .................................................................................11
1. Implementation of the FFF in Zambia– Vincent Ziba (FFF Facilitator Zambia) ........ 11
2. Brief Overview of FFF, its Objectives and Significance for Africa – Jhony Zapata (FFF Forestry Officer Rome) ........................................................................................................ 12
3. Implementation of FFF in Kenya – Philip Kisoyan (FFF National Facilitator Kenya) 13
Session 6: The Promise of EverGreen Agriculture - Dennis Garrity (UNCCD Drylands Ambassador, EverGreen Agriculture Partnership Chair) ..................................................................................15
Session 7: Brainstorm on How to Scale-Up Together ......................................................................................17
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List of Abbreviations
ICRAF World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
KFS Kenya Forest Service
KEFRI Kenya Forestry Research Institute
EVA Evergreen Agriculture
EVAP EverGreen Agriculture Partnership
FFF Forest Farm Facility
FF-SPAK Farm Forestry Smallholder Producers Associations of Kenya
WFO World Farmers’ Organization
NFA National Forestry Authority
AFR100 African Restoration Initiative
REDD+ Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation
NCTNA Nakuru Tree Nursery Association
PELIS Plantation Establishment and Livelihood Improvement Scheme
KEPHIS Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service
FLEGT Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade
HCDA Horticultural Crops Development Authority
NEMA National Environment Management Authority
AEZ Agro-Ecological Zones
ASAL Arid and Semi-Arid Lands
AU African Union
CBO Community Based Organizations
GIS Geographic Information System (GIS)
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Session 1: Opening Remarks – Dennis Garrity (UNCCD Drylands
Ambassador, EverGreen Agriculture Partnership Chair)
Dennis Garrity welcomed all and highlighted that all organizations present had a common
knowledge that the future of trees is on farms. The seminar is therefore meant to provide a
platform to discuss the numerous opportunities and developments in Kenya and other
countries, on how smallholder farmers are organizing themselves, developing the strengths
and knowledge of germplasm and nurseries, amongst other efforts, in a bid to accelerate the
development of Agroforestry in the land. Additionally, the seminar provides an opportunity
for synergies, connections and networks, by which all organizations present can effectively
reach the many smallholder farmers who are in themselves interested in developing their
farm forestry systems.
Dennis also noted that the seminar is being held at a crucial moment since Kenya recently
made a commitment to restore 5.2 million hectares of degraded land, based on the African
Forest Landscape Initiative (AFR100).
“The best time to plant a tree was 20
years ago, but the second best time to
do so is today.”
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Session 2: Introduction - Jhony Zapata (Forest Farm Facility Forestry
Officer)
There are various commitments and agreements from
the government and policies that are important, but
need to be implemented on the ground since the key
players are on the ground, working together and
benefiting from the immediate benefits of
Agroforestry. The stakeholders present therefore need
to agree on some common next steps on what we can
do together and how to implement all the agreements
and commitments already initiated. Jhony gave an
example of Nicaragua, where a new canal is being built
and some of its objectives are geared towards
protecting the environment by planting trees in a
number of hectares. However, this initiative is mainly
targeting senior people and the government, and the local people have no say or way of
participating in the same.
Kenya should make sure it doesn’t follow this example, rather liaise with organizations at the
grassroots as well as the farmers. One way in which this can be achieved is through simple
and concrete suggestions through which all organizations present can play a role. Dennis
added that in Kenya, the smallholder farmer is the forester, presently and in the future,
hence will avoid the Nicaragua case.
Session 3: Vision 2030 and Target of Recovering 10% Forest Cover: The
Role of Farm Forest Smallholders - Oscar Simanto (Kenya Forest Service)
Kenya is a low forest cover country and sustainable
wood supply is currently insufficient, and demand is
likely to increase rapidly. Currently, only 6.99% of the
total land area in Kenya (56,914,000 ha) is covered
by forests, yet 70% of the national energy use is
6.99%, out of which protected forest areas account
for 3.20%. The forest cover is categorized into three:
natural forests (41%), commercial forests (11.4%)
and trees on farm (47.6%). This situation will later
translate to increased deforestation of natural
forests, increased prices of wood products, including
charcoal, widening trade for wood products and
increased import rates.
In a bid to address this problem, Kenya has
committed to rehabilitate 5.2 million hectares of degraded forestlands, farmlands and
rangeland, increasing the forest cover to 10% by 2030. If this is achieved there will be an
increase in access to wood, i.e. increasing the area under forests (drylands, state plantations,
farmlands, private plantations) and increasing productivity (species and environment).
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Some of the proposed models for supporting national efforts of increasing forest cover
include:
1. Production of high quality tree seedlings
2. Promotion of commercial tree and growing bamboo
3. Development of state plantation forests (140,000 ha)
4. Promotion of Agroforestry
5. Management of invasive tree species
6. Forest resources assessment
7. National tree planting campaigns
8. Forest governance and crosscutting issues (Farm Forestry Field Schools (FFFS);
application of participatory forestry extension methodologies for capacity
development; community action planning; community woodland management
planning)
9. Promotion of non-wood forest products (capacity building for County Governments
for Forestry Development; promotion of urban, roadside, railside and amenity tree
growing; forests for energy: Support to development of charcoal producer
associations
10. Forest education, training and research (school greening programme; sustainable
forest management financing; development of financing mechanisms for tree
growing including REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest
Degradation)
Giving an example of Uruguay, Oscar noted the importance of giving incentives to farmers,
for example through tax incentives, soft credits and provision of subsidies in priority growth
areas, which can translate to a 30 fold increase in private plantation areas, and a 10%
increase in forest cover. Involvement of smallholder farmers will provide: a platform for
establishment of tree growers associations aimed at organizing farmers to do effective
marketing; a platform for on farm tree research; opportunities for technology dissemination
and uptake (Agroforestry, landscape improvement, commercial forest establishment,
processing e.t.c.); land for growing trees; labour force for landscape restoration initiatives
and a platform to advocate for a favourable policy environment for tree growers.
Additionally, sources such as
indigenous forests, dry-woodlands,
government plantations, private
plantations in high potential areas
and private plantations in Arid and
Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) areas can be
considered in order to close the
widening wood access deficit gap.
Three criteria’s/ questions need to
be considered to ensure the success
of this venture:
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1. How productive the forest system is in terms of sustainability yield per hectare per
year?
2. What opportunities exist to leverage private sector finance to scale reforestation/
afforestation activities?
3. How much land is available for expansion?
Kenya’s commercial forestry sector also needs to be catalysed by: increasing variety and
access to high quality planting material suited to various Agro-Ecological Zones (AEZs);
Increasing access to training on ‘best practice’ silviculture for targeted end product markets;
Ensuring competitive market conditions that stimulate adoption of efficient harvesting and
processing technologies; recognizing the role of commercial forest growers in policy and
law, accelerating and ensuring transparency of government gazetted plantations; encourage
greater public-private collaboration around areas of research, forest finance, and risk
mitigation mechanisms.
In addition to the above measures, various opportunities that exist should be leveraged
upon, such as the favorable policy and legal framework; favorable weather and suitable
soils; vast lands in the ASALS; increased stakeholders interest in tree growing; available tree
growing technologies from research; a big population to provide labor for tree planting
initiatives; increasing market demand for forest products and emerging carbon markets.
Session 4: County Government Role in Forest Restoration and Farm
Forestry
1. County Government of Baringo, the Importance to Support Smallholders in the County – Emmanuel
Emmanuel gave an overview of the
county, highlighting Mogotio sub-
county achievements with regard to
farm forestry:
Established a modern tree
nursery with the main aim of
propagating and conserving
indigenous tree species
Purchase of tree mango
seedlings which are
distributed to women groups and individual farmers in the area
Initiation of a regreening program, with the target of planting 2.9 million trees by
2017. So far, the program has benefitted 5 schools, 75 women groups and 66
individual households
Distributed 57,105 tree seedlings and 12,447 mango seedlings to institutions
Distributed 18,439 tree seedlings to individual households
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2. County Government of Nakuru, the Importance to Support Smallholders in the County – Mary Nyamu
Mary gave an overview of Nakuru County, noting some measures already in place with
regards to Agroforestry by promoting tree planting through existing nurseries, marketing
organizations as well as community based organizations. Some of the achievements thus far
include:
Making of briquettes through the three R’s policy i.e. Reducing, Recycling and
Reusing of the waste. This is carried out through women and Community Based
Organizations (CBO) in the area
Promotion of energy conservation methods such as energy saving jikos as well as
biogas, through women and CBO groups, in a bid curb deforestation. Additionally,
the county government is involved in the process whereby half of the total energy
saving jikos required, are prepared by them, and the farmers meet the other half
Discussion:
Q: The initiatives undertaken in Baringo County are commendable, but the key question is
on the overall impact on the inhabitants, owing to the fact that there are around 100,000
inhabitants, and 90,000 of them are rural families. The initiative has only managed to reach
around 50,000 tree seedlings, hence how can the wide gap be covered?
A: the initiative is still at the initial stages and is hopeful that the county government is going
to ensure the gap is closed. The current target as indicated in the strategic plan is to have
planted 2.4 million trees in the county in the next two years
Q: So many activities are being implemented in the counties, but how is the monitoring and
evaluation being carried out?
A: a participatory forest management plan is used to monitor and evaluate all the activities
in Nakuru County. Additionally a Plantation Establishment and Livelihood Improvement
Scheme (PELIS) is used and the community is involved
3. Farm Forestry Smallholders Producer Association of Kenya (FF-SPAK), its Importance to Achieve the Target of Recovering Forest Cover – Geoffrey Wanyama (CEO FF-SPAK)
Farm Forestry Smallholder
Producers Associations of Kenya
(FF-SPAK) is an umbrella for the
smallholder farmers in Kenya
comprising of various associations
including a savings association
which has a membership of 12,000,
a six membership secretariat
comprising of experts in marketing,
forestry, organizational
development, amongst others. The
organization aims at promoting:
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Trees on farms for the benefit of smallholder farmers e.g. wood and poles for
construction, fence posts, fuelwood and charcoal, fruits, fodder, medicine, gums and
resin
Livelihood improvement and poverty alleviation through sale of tree products
Environmental services through carbon sinks- climate change, aesthetic value and
protection against land degradation
Agricultural productivity through fertilizer trees
National economic growth
Broaden the scope of tree planting since the country has fixed gazette forest areas
Build capacity of member organizations
Promote the rights of smallholder farmers
A platform where smallholder farmers can meet and share experiences
Great opportunities exist in scaling up farm forestry such as:
1. Critical mass of farmers willing to venture into tree farming based on the immense
benefits accrued
2. Supportive policy environment to spur increased wood production and development
of community and farm forestry
3. Devolution which has enabled community and farm forestry extension as the county
governments are now in charge of the entire process
4. Large unfulfilled domestic and industrial markets such as energy and construction
fields
5. Technology and expertise present in most parts of the country
6. Easy access to inputs e.g. tree seedlings
7. Minimum care of the trees on farms
Some challenges however need to be addressed in order to meet the demands as well as
take advantage of the above named opportunities, for instance, restrictions on timber trade
in the country; lack of quality germplasm; poor knowledge and technological expertise on
tree nursery management and sivi-cultural practices; poor linkages between research
institutions, extensionists and producers; exploitation as well as lack of organization
amongst producers.
4. Nakuru Tree Nurseries Association (NCTNA), generating income for the Families by Making Sustainable Business with Tree Nurseries – Charles Wagura Macharia (NCTNA Chair)
The Nakuru Tree Nursery Association (NCTNA) was established in 2013 with the aim of
generating income for farmers as well as marketing suitable businesses. Additionally, its
formation was as a result of absence of a central organ for representing the interests of tree-
nursery entrepreneurs within the county; need for a platform comprising of like-minded
individuals/ groups to interact and share ideas for the betterment of the tree nursery sector
in Nakuru; inadequate financial and technical capacity by individuals to address certain
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market demands on their own; need to have a central database for tree-nursery products
and services; need to have a strategic support partner for easy facilitation of government
and private sector initiatives within the county; need to address any other unique needs that
entrepreneurs from different parts of the county may experience within their sub-county
localities.
The association comprises of more
than 400 individual-run tree-
nurseries across 11 sub-counties in
Nakuru, directly employing over
1,500 workers and 5,000 workers
indirectly. Some of the activities
carried out by the association
include: tree nursery management
services; Supply of tree seedlings
and potted plants; landscaping
and related green-lawn
management services; production of charcoal briquettes from timber waste and other eco-
friendly energy conservation products; provision of practical training for schools and other
institutions.
Some of the benefits enjoyed by members include:
Protection of member interests at both local and regional levels
Protection of member rights from unfair trade practices and policies
Free participation in training programs at the sub-county level
Access to waivered rates in case of any paid events/ initiatives
Access to industry and trade information through periodic publications and other events
Rights to vote and eligibility to be elected as officials
Support during high market demands
Corporate marketing campaigns
Various achievements have been experienced thus far such as:
Launch of NTCNA during the
Nakuru Agribusiness Trade Fair
in June 2015
Opening of an office at the
Nakuru Agricultural Training
Centre, courtesy of the former
Horticultural Crops
Development Authority (HCDA)
Receiving a ¼ acre piece of land
donation from the County
Government, which will act as a
demonstration centre
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Receiving a 3 acre donation from the Directorate of Meteorology Services, which will act
as a field demonstration and training centre
One of the member CBOs managed to acquire Kshs. 500 000/= grant from FAO, for
environmental conservation projects
NCTNA was voted the Best Farm-Forestry Membership Association in Kenya by FAO’s
technical evaluation team which toured Kenya early 2016
Invitation by media houses such as The Standard Newspaper, the People Daily, Radio
Amani, QTV and Egerton Radio, for interviews on the associations’ activities. NCTNA has
also featured in Taifa Leo’s “Mkulima Bora Segment” and Daily Nation’s “Seeds of Gold”
magazines
Donated tree seedlings to the County Department of Environment, and received an
exhibition stand during the World Environmental Day celebrations at Kampiya Moto
(Rongai) in June 2015
Participation in several trainings and capacity building programs in partnership with;
Kenya Forest Service (KFS), FF-SPAK, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO), World Farmers’ Organization (WFO), National Environment Management
Authority (NEMA), We-Effect, Meteorological Department and other partners in 2015/
2016
Initiating several new projects such as The NCTNA Green Magazine, in partnership with
FAO and FF-SPAK, which act as the association’s in-house publication.
NCTNA officials took part in 6-day Exchange Program courtesy of FAO, KFS and FF-SPAK,
in Uganda
Currently in the process of initiating schools and colleges programs whose main
objective will be to promote farm-forestry amongst the potential youth market in Kenya
Some needs however have to be addressed in order to meet the associations’ objectives, for
instance: financial and logistical support to enable NCTNA to equip the demonstration
centres; facilitation of the tree nurseries with a non-commercial flat-rate for payment of
water bills so as to reduce recurring operation costs; water-tanker truck that can enable
farmers in dry and semi-arid areas, and those who depend on water from seasonal streams,
to be productive throughout
the year; quality seeds;
facilitation of the training of
trainers for farmers in order to
attain certification that will
put them in a better position
to face competition and other
emerging market challenges;
land wholly owned by the
association; dam-lining
materials for farmers to
enable them build self-dug
water reservoirs that can
reduce water-bill costs and sustain a nursery for at least 3 months.
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Discussion:
Q: Is this the only Association that exists in Kenya?
A: This is the only existing nursery association in Kenya and is being used as an example by
other counties planning to form their own
C: We need to ensure quality seeds since nurseries are now being established by many, with
no proper procedures. We also need to consider their sources i.e. from the mother tree or
vegetative propagation
Session 5: An Introduction to the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) and
Partner Programmes Strengthening Forest and Farm Producer
Organizations
1. Implementation of the FFF in Zambia– Vincent Ziba (FFF Facilitator Zambia)
Vincent gave an overview of Zambia as well as the Farm Forests implementation program in
the country, noting that 60% of the land is covered by natural forests (752,000 kilometres),
and 2.2 million hectares is controlled by the government in form of forest reserves (432).
Additionally, 15.2 million hectares is under traditional/ customary ownership, giving the
community an opportunity to participate in the improvement of forest cover in the country.
Through farm forestry and the forestry department, the country has set strategic objectives
that highlight that by 2030, the organization should:
Engage traditional leaders in timber concession management, currently being
implemented
Strengthen local institutions
on forest conservation
management and forest
business management
Ensure adoption of carbon
emission practices for
instance through promotion
of sustainable agricultural
practices and provision of
performance based
incentives
Regulate production of wood fuel, charcoal and firewood through enhanced models
and technologies
Ensure adoption of appropriate and affordable alternative energy sources for
instance through provision of incentives for renewable energy sources
Have an integrated land use plan in place
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Build capacity of local institutions to implement and monitor REDD+ initiatives for
instance through promotion of the REDD+ model
Forest Farm Facility operates under the following pillars:
1. Organized forest and farm producer organizations - through trainings and a market
development analysis where farmers are trained for business;
2. Cross sectoral, multi-stakeholder platforms in order to increase coordination and
effectiveness through introduction of a forest commodity committee reinforced by
Farm Forestry; foreseeing the legal process of charcoal production to ensure
maximum profits are enjoyed by farmers; organize a platform in which farmers can
market their honey;
3. Linking local voices and learning at local, national and global levels – by engaging
community in proposal writing so as to source for funding for their activities;
organizing community groups so as to market and package their products well, as
well as have a bargaining power when it comes to setting of prices; tree nursery
establishment; partnership with We Effect to ensure wider reach
Discussion:
Q: How far is the REDD+ process and how prepared is Zambia in terms of its legal framework
A: A REDD+ strategy was developed in 2015 and FAO is currently assisting in the
implementation of the same. The
World Bank has also expressed
interest, and monitoring and
evaluation processes are also being
introduced at the national and
institutional levels. Additionally,
trainings have been carried out to
enable local officers to capture
Geographic Information System (GIS)
images appropriately
Q: Zambia is experiencing 240,000ha loss yearly, how will this gap be narrowed? What is the
strategy?
A: Zambia has Miombo which can help close the gap (regenerate), if farmers are encouraged
and trained on how to cut tree branches
2. Brief Overview of FFF, its Objectives and Significance for Africa – Jhony Zapata (FFF Forestry Officer Rome)
Showing photos of groups in circles, Jhony explained that the Forest Farm Facility (FFF)
revolves around that concept (circle) whereby support is accorded to farmers so as to
improve their livelihoods as well as be engaged in decision making. The programme is
currently being implemented in ten countries: Bolivia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Gambia,
Liberia, Kenya, Zambia, Myanmar, Nepal and Vietnam.
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FFF has enjoyed great successes thus far including: providing support to more than 220
FFPOs including apex federations and local enterprises in 10 countries, regionally and
globally; Gambia now has 56 organizations and associations comprising of 108,984 women
and 163,330 men; 1.3 million farmers have reforested 3.5 million hectares; small forest
farmer groups have established enterprises that have attributed to 15% price increase for
their timber and cinnamon products courtesy of working together and negotiating prices as
a group; and providing linkages to REDD+, Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade
(FLEGT) and IKEA.
3. Implementation of FFF in Kenya – Philip Kisoyan (FFF National Facilitator Kenya)
“As long as there is a market, people will find a way. We should use this approach for
forests on farms.”
In Kenya, FFF is operating in two counties: Nakuru and Laikipia whereby farmers have been
trained and organized into producer groups, as well as provided small grants to support their
business development plans. So far 6 producer groups have been supported through the
initiative and some of the enterprises related to forest and farm include timber, honey,
poultry, bamboo, stinging nettle, amongst others. The program is however experiencing a
challenge of moving from subsistent to commercial production, since production levels are
very low. However, if these products are aggregated, then the program can meet the market
volume requirement.
FFF in a bid to address this challenge, is encouraging farmers to form product based
associations so they can make contracts with big players in the markets to get better prices
with which they can improve their
livelihoods. Additionally, a framework
was developed and great results have
been achieved through it. In Nakuru
for example, various associations
have been established including tree
nursery association, timber
association and fruit tree (avocado)
association. Associations have also
been established in Laikipia with
focus on tree nurseries, beekeeping
and indigenous chicken farming. In both counties, quick wins are established under the
program, in order to sustain the farmers financially as they wait for the trees to mature. This
framework can be replicated across the country for various products.
A conference for family forestry organizations was held in June 2015 to promote forestry on
farms. One of the outcomes was the need to make a business case for Farm Forestry and
have markets as the main driver.
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Comments:
1. FF-SPAK has registered to the FFF cooperative marketing limited for the south coast
and Kilifi. This has been made possible by the support the organization has received
from We Effect, equipping the organization on best packaging methods considered
suitable for the market.
2. We need to have an inventory on Farm Forestry so as to account for the volumes
farmers have. FF-SPAK for instance developed a tool to help farmers capture the
volumes on their farms, and the same or a much simpler tool can be developed to
carry out a large scale inventory
3. We need to look at the bigger picture where farmers can market their products to
both national and international markets, hence consider forest certification to make
this possible, since international markets usually consider the source and
sustainability of the seedlings. This can be done through the existing associations
which act as the umbrella bodies and will have higher bargaining power
4. Acquiring high quality tree seedlings should not just be the responsibility of Kenya
Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) or KFS but also that of the associations so as to
ensure quality seeds are distributed to farmers and in turn ensure quality produce
and nurseries. Additionally, KFS only supplies 10% of tree seedlings, meaning the
greater percentage comes from farmers. This therefore calls for the need to ensure
farmers acquire high quality seedlings
5. Next time we should bring in more of the buyers (internal and international) to have
more discussion regarding bulking, pre-processing e.t.c. that can be done by an
association
6. While KEFRI is good for producing high quality they are not a business hence cannot
produce anywhere near the seed required in the country. There is an example of a
tree-seed system in Malawi under a research institute (later privatised), which was
able to make huge profits and plough them back into the organisation. The tree seed
system can now supply 65,000 tree seedlings and this shows that we need to think
about private businesses to produce seed since government organizations cannot
plough back profits into their activities. The association should look into this and see
how a tree seed businesses could be established, to meet the volume of quality
seeds.
7. We need an act that supports the efforts and programs in place since with that, we
will have a legal basis
for trees planted on
farms, just like in
Uganda where National
Forestry Authority
(NFA) introduced a Tree
Planting Act.
Additionally, Kenya can
take the approach
implemented in Zambia
whereby a Forestry Act
was introduced and it
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encourages community participation
Session 6: The Promise of EverGreen Agriculture - Dennis Garrity
(UNCCD Drylands Ambassador, EverGreen Agriculture Partnership Chair)
The future of trees is not only on farms but also in crop fields. Across the globe, there are
many examples of massive scale incorporation of trees into crop production systems. In
Kenya for example, farmers are incorporating Grevillea robusta into their maize fields and
this has translated to increase in production as well as income generation and home
consumption through the tree products such as fuel wood and timber.
In addition to woodlots and boundary planting, farmers can add value to their crop
production systems by planting the right trees, in the right place and densities, with the right
management practices and combining them with their crops to get the right synergies, and
this forms the basic concept of EverGreen Agriculture. Farmers have always had trees in
their crop lands but have not been encouraged to do it hence the introduction of EVA which
not only encourages them but also ensures maximum usage of the land and increased
income through trees, crops and livestock. When a working group mapped trees in Kenya it
was found out that 70% of crop land already has more than 10% tree land cover, particularly
in the drylands.
A national conference on Melia volkensii is currently being organized by KEFRI, ICRAF and
Better Globe Forestry, scheduled to
take place in February 2016. This will
involve all players in the Melia
industry i.e. the marketers, scientists,
processors, researchers, farmers,
furniture makers, developers, e.t.c.
hence all organizations present should
consider attending. Additionally, the
Partnership for EverGreen Agriculture
is bringing main players together to
promote and scale up EverGreen
Agriculture practices. This seminar also serves as a great platform to forge partnerships as
there is a lot to learn from the FFF experience and successful efforts.
Jhony added on to Dennis presentation, noting an upcoming 3-4 days national conference
for tree nursery association of Kenya which will be held in Nakuru in collaboration with the
Nakuru Tree Nursery Association, FAO/ FFF, ICRAF, KFS, FF-SPAK, We Effect, amongst others.
This conference will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to share experiences on the
structures of the tree nurseries in the counties, come up with a legal framework for the
establishment and operation of tree nurseries in Kenya at the county level, business case for
tree nurseries in Kenya, opportunities for tree nurseries e.g. certification of tree nurseries,
launching of the guideline for certification of the tree nurseries, an agreement on the way
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forward for the tree nursery associations. FFF is willing to provide the funds for the
conference if stakeholders present are interested and also willing to support on the same.
Comments:
1. EverGreen Agriculture is a good
way to go as farm sizes are
getting smaller, and the
scientific and local knowledge
on how to undertake should be
provided to the other
organizations so as to support
this move. Additionally, we
need to take up the landscape
approach as the challenges of
deforestation are not within forest systems, rather outside these systems. There is
need to add value to tree and tree products and this can be achieved through the
associations as we can also reach farmers at the local level since this has proven to
be difficult through the local government. This will also encourage community based
trainers to provide extension as government extension cannot reach all the farmers.
2. The working environment for the farmers is equally as important so as to work with
their schedules or routines and more so the immediate needs they would like met.
3. We need to consider how to create the empowering environment for tree crops.
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Session 7: Brainstorm on How to Scale-Up Together
Activity Strategies Responsible
National conference on Tree Nurseries
National conference on tree nurseries- formation of the national association on tree nurseries.
The certification of the tree nurseries and planting materials by Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) and KEFRI.
Harmonizing the existing tree nursery guidelines. (To include the minimum requirement for certification and established seed collection centers).
Involve Gatsby and other stakeholders in the national workshop on tree nurseries.
Involving the local community groups that use the indigenous seed collection methods.
Concept note of the tree nurseries workshops to be rolled out to the participants.
Combine the re-greening workshop with WV with the Tree Nurseries workshop in August.
FAO
KFS
KEFRI
ICRAF
National Exhibition on Forest Products
Invite exhibitions from diverse sectoral backgrounds on wood and non-wood forest products.
Assessments on the nature of the markets of the forest products through the trade fairs.
National participation for the farmers to air their grievances to the government.
Involve banks in the discussions and bringing the manufacturers and the other stakeholders.
Development of a comprehensive concept note with objectives clearly outlined.
Develop linkages with the Melia enterprise.
Reward innovations in the forestry sector. (NET fund). (KFS to hold the forest conservation awards scheme to reward tree growers across the country).
Seek approval from a government institution with the mandate to carry forward the initiative.
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