Integrating trees into dairy and maize farms can help to make them carbon neutral and increase yields, according to a new report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

The report examines activities and pilot projects under the FAO’s Mitigation of Climate Change in Agriculture (MICCA) Programme, including those in which the World Agroforestry Centre has been a partner.

The website of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) outlines how the pilot projects, carried out in Tanzania and Kenya, focus on supporting livelihoods, increasing productivity and lowering emissions.

Results show that smallholder dairy farms can become carbon neutral through planting trees, improved feeding practices and pasture management. Also, maize yields can be increased without increasing greenhouse gas emissions if conservation agriculture is practiced with trees or fertilizers.

The report concludes that Climate-smart Agriculture can be an effective way to address food insecurity, climate change adaptation and mitigation, national development goals and sustainability simultaneously.

Read the full story on IISD: FAO Reports on MICCA Pilot Projects

Download the report: Science to Support Climate-Smart Agricultural Development: Concepts and Results from the MICCA Pilot Projects in East Africa