More than 61,000 smallholder farmers have benefited from B Corp in Kenya since 2014
To date, B Corp has planted more than one million trees in collaboration with a total of more than 61,000 smallholder farmers*. Susanna Finardi, International Expansion Manager at Treedom, recently visited the project country.
Since 2014, Treedom, together with numerous local partner organizations, has been planting trees in rural areas of Kenya, providing communities there with agricultural alternatives to conventional farming.
Treedom’s activities in Kenya focus on the targeted establishment of small-scale agroforestry projects and the empowerment of those participating in the projects – as well as food and income security for families alongside sustainable and ever-growing ecological impact for the country’s environment.
“Our goal is not to plant the trees per se, we want to see them grow and thrive.”
In spring 2022, Susanna Finardi, International Expansion Manager at Treedom, visited local partners in Kenya to see for herself on the ground how Treedom projects are developing there and to meet the people behind the project successes in Kenya:
Susanna Finardi reports from her trip to Treedom projects in Kenya:
“At Lake Victoria, I met with our Treedom Community there. A community usually consists of ten to fifteen families. At regular intervals of a few weeks, the members of a community meet at the home of one of the participating farmers. Together, they discuss their progress and challenges in caring for the trees and generally share ideas to learn from each other. This is because most of them used to grow only seasonal crops, such as tobacco or sugarcane, and had little to no experience in tree care to begin with. This exchange of knowledge is particularly important because our goal is not to plant the trees per se, we want to see them grow and thrive,” says Susanna Finardi.
Agroforestry projects reflect the country’s diversity and protect the environment
Since the beginning of its involvement in Kenya, B Corp has initiated, coordinated and organized various projects that pursue ecological, social and economic goals:
For example, training participating smallholder farmers in the rearing and care of trees and also to promote cooperative and community-based management, targeted involvement of women’s groups to support emancipation and economic independence, and also raising awareness of environmental protection.
The tree varieties planted in the various Treedom agroforestry projects in Kenya, whose yields belong to the smallholder farmers who care for the trees, are diverse: avocado, mango, guava or even “superfood” macadamia and moringa with their high nutritional content serve as an important source of nutrition and income.
In addition, the mixed cultures with various forest tree species protect the country’s biodiversity and create suitable habitat for growing fruit trees: Grevilleas, for example, attract bees and provide excellent wind protection against desiccation and soil erosion, umbrella trees provide shade and protect against the hot equatorial sun, and white-headed mimosas bind nitrogen and thus promote soil fertility.
“Some have started their own nurseries and sell not only the fruits of their trees, but also seedlings they have grown themselves.”
Susanna Finardi on her visit to Kisii in southwestern Kenya:
“In Kisii, the site of our very first project in Kenya, I met with smallholder farmers who have been working with us for over eight years.
Seeing their trees, being able to touch them and, of course, enjoying their fruits was an incredible experience. We were given mangoes, avocados and tree tomatoes to try, as the farmers are very proud of their trees. However, what impressed me the most in Kisii was how the small farmers there make use of their acquired knowledge and experience. Some have started their own nurseries and sell not only the fruits of their trees, but also seedlings they have grown themselves.”
Plant a tree remotely and make an impact with one click
Treedom directly supports agroforestry projects with high social, economic and environmental value in different regions of the world and with long-term positive impact on future generations – from an environmental, social and economic perspective.
Treedom.net makes it easy to select a suitable tree and give it as a gift:
The tree seedling is planted in one of the 17 Treedom project countries, geolocated, photographed during planting and entered into the Treedom tree register, which now contains more than 3 million trees.