The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR and World Agroforestry (ICRAF) joined forces in 2019, leveraging a combined 65 years’ experience in research on the role of forests and trees in solving critical global challenges.
Where we work
In East and Southern Africa, World Agroforestry operates in 14 countries that rely immensely on agriculture, biodiversity and natural resources wealth as the basis for food production and socio-economic development. Our focus is therefore on the implementation of agroforestry research and development as one of the vehicles to achieve sustainable agriculture, environmental sustainability and green growth.
A strong multi-disciplinary team of researchers with a wealth of experience in the respective countries and the regional office help deliver on this mandate.
The Regional office is co-located within ICRAF Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya with country offices established in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. ICRAF also implements projects in Burundi, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan and Zimbabwe, supported by neighbouring country teams and the regional office.
The Challenges
Despite abundance of natural resources and diverse ecosystems, eastern and southern Africa faces various challenges including increasing human population pressures, high food and nutritional insecurity, poverty, environmental degradation, deforestation, water scarcity, biodiversity loss and climate change. Other challenges are low agricultural productivity, unsustainable woodfuel systems and a massive burden of refugees and internally displaced persons. These challenges have been aggravated by disasters and pandemics which have far reaching impacts on all spheres of life.
What we do
Agroforestry research and development in the region is implemented in a multi-faceted approach to enhance cross-country learning, experience sharing and effective use of resources to achieve impact at scale.
We develop suitable tree-based technologies and practices to address the specific pressing challenges across the varying agroecosystems. This is done by taking into consideration various contexts such as agroecological and market conditions, social-cultural settings, local knowledge, prioritized local needs, as well as the national and sub-national (especially focusing on agricultural, forestry, development and climate change) plans linked to regional or global commitments. We test, promote and disseminate appropriate evidence-based and gender-responsive interventions that are context specific as well as increase understanding of trees and their numerous benefits.
We work closely with all ICRAF research teams and partner with relevant international, regional and national organizations to deliver on our mandate. We also closely work with governments in mainstreaming of agroforestry principles and practices into national development plans, policies, strategies, Institutions and projects.
Through various donor-funded research and development projects, we aim to increase the adoption of agroforestry innovations, promote gender equality, improve income and livelihoods, to make agricultural landscapes more resilient as well as strengthen the capacity of our partners to deliver on transforming livelihoods and healthy landscapes. Monitoring and evaluation enable us to take stock of achievements and lessons to inform design and better management of existing and future projects.
Our regional research and development work is exemplified in the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Strategy (2015-2024), and well aligned with CIFOR-ICRAF 2020-2030 Strategy, CGIAR’s Research Programs, Strategy on Tree-based Energy, Gender Strategy and Action Plan. Externally, our work contributes to several continental/international agreements and declarations including Africa Union’s Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods, NEPAD’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)- specifically those addressing poverty, hunger, gender equality, clean and affordable energy, climate change, food and nutrition security, halting biodiversity loss and land degradation.
The region hosted the Regional Land Management Unit (RELMA) and Southern and Eastern Africa Rainwater Network (SearNet) Unit. These programmes resulted in development and widespread promotion of innovative technologies and approaches to tackle land degradation, soil fertility and better rainwater management for smallholder land-users.
Flagship Areas
The Eastern and Southern Africa region has structured its work across nine flagship areas:
- Land restoration and sustainable land management: Leveraging on agroforestry for climate-resilient landscapes, improved land health and ecosystem services
- Improving food security and nutrition through integrating appropriate trees on farms and the requisite management options to increase and sustain productivity. This approach also includes promotion of fruit trees- both exotic and indigenous to improve nutrition for households
- Tree domestication and quality germplasm systems by selecting, testing and improving supply of tree planting material of species and provenances suitable for farmers for the different ecological conditions and farming systems. Our target are trees that provide benefits such as soil fertility improvement, boost nutrition, fodder and energy provision among other products and services
- Bioenergy: focus on making woodfuel sustainable, combining tree growing with the use of efficient energy technologies, enhancing circular bioeconomy to reduce waste and pollution and recover energy, capacity development and policy influencing
- Developing agroecological approaches for ecosystem service delivery, including water provision, pollination, pest control and enhancement of soil health.
- Water Management by using proven traditional and modern approaches to inform the design of efficient water-use systems, conservation and restoration of water resources, and water harvesting interventions for sustained agricultural production, biodiversity conservation and improved water security for people and animals.
- Developing resilient livelihoods and landscapes in refugee and hosting community areas. The aim is to promote environmental sustainability within refugee and host community settings through well-planned, and long-term humanitarian and development actions
- Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation: Through climate-smart agriculture and agroforestry to safeguard crop yields and livelihoods from weather extremes, modify microclimate and reduction of greenhouse gases emissions.
- Development of well-functioning agroforestry value chains and markets for enhanced livelihoods and incomes. This also includes better engagement of youth and women in agroforestry-related businesses.