Agroforestry
100 million Gliricidia sepium tree planting campaign
Our goal of planting 100 million Gliricidia sepium trees in 2022/2023 season to restore farm soils and reduce pressure on local forests is underway. Chiefs, cooperative leaders and small scale farmers are all committed to its success as they establish millions of tree nurseries and begin the process of raising seedlings to a size ready for planting in their farm fields later. This farming practice is referred to as agroforestry. The scale and impact of this exercise is among the largest in Africa extending our commitment to restoring farm soils with a chemical-free farming approach using tree species that also captures carbon and water. Our hope is that this initiative, building on years of tree planting with this same species will spark a national spirit for conservation and the important role small-scale farmers can play.
Gliricidia sepium in the Media ..
100 million planting campaign by the numbers ..
Gallery
In the 2020/2021 season in Eastern and Muchinga provinces we partnered with 72,000 farmers to plant Gliricidia Sepium, for the year over 46 million trees were planted. This initiative was overseen by the multi-purpose cooperatives that we work with. This was a campaign to transition farmers dependence from chemical fertilizer into an organic solution. Gliricidia trees help to replenish depleted nutrients in the soils. Farming with the tree and minimum tillage allows higher levels of carbon to be stored in the soils as well as in the same trees.
Energy
In partnership with CQuest, COMACO has distributed 97,463 fuel-efficient cookstoves that are monitored annually for their use and maintenance.
Women’s Empowerment
52% of COMACO farmers and half of all cooperative leaders are women, figures that would have been unimaginable twenty years ago.
Manufacturing as a Tool for Conservation
We supply over 8,000 tons of nutritious food products to Zambia’s cities and towns annually under the brand It’s Wild!.
Carbon Project
We worked with local chiefs to establish Community Conservation Areas designed to safeguard Zambia’s forests and the wildlife within them.
Cooperatives
We helped establish 103 community-run cooperatives in 84 chiefdoms across Eastern, Central and Muchinga Provinces of Zambia.
Transformed Poachers
COMACO started operating in Luangwa Valley with a mission to help wildlife poachers learn new skills to fulfil their livelihoods and protect wildlife.
Agroforestry
In the 2020/2021 season, we partnered with 72,000 farmers in Eastern and Muchinga provinces to plant over 46 million Gliricidia Sepium trees.
Beekeeping
We work with over 7,000 farmers in the Luangwa Valley not only to protect landscapes and forests, but also to improve household nutrition and income.
