Using acacias in landscape management practices to mitigate land degradation, reduce poverty, and promote food security

Project Formulation Assignment for the UNCCD: Using acacias in landscape management practices to mitigate land degradation, reduce poverty, and promote food security (2004)

Ten national project documents prepared: Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Sudan and Tanzania; and one regional project document for project hosted by ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics).

Period: March – December 2004

Partners

University of Helsinki, Department of Forest Ecology / VITRI
UNCCD (United Nation Convention to Combat Desertification)
ICRISAT ( International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics)
Institutions carrying out activities related to gum Arabic production, processing and marketing.

VITRI team

Dr. Jörn Laxén – Team leader
Dr. Mohammed El Fadl
Prof. Emer. Martti Saarilahti
Dr. Eshetu Yirdaw

Financing

Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland on behalf of the UNCCD

Regional Project main objective

Facilitate the strengthening of ten African gum arabic producing countries to mitigate the effects of desertification on rural communities and the environment through the promotion of agroforestry systems containing gum-producing trees that will provide a financial incentive for communities to protect and plant more trees.

National Project main objective

To combat desertification through landscape management planning and enabling tree planting activities, while on the same time reducing poverty in the project area through improving agroforestry practices, creation of new income-generating opportunities and efforts to remove bottlenecks for gum arabic production and trade at all levels.

Focus of activities

  • Landscape management;
  • Improved agroforestry practises;
  • Creation of new alternative income-generating sources;
  • Reintroduction and support gum arabic production, processing and trade; and
  • Reforming of national gum arabic pricing structure, marketing chains and policy environments.

Project formulation on

Using acacias in landscape management practices to mitigate land degradation, reduce poverty, and promote food security In ten Sub-Saharan African countries: Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Sudan and Tanzania.