Our “A Food Forest for Us” project is designed to enhance both local livelihoods and biodiversity in the village of Idunda (Morogoro region, Tanzania).  Syntropic agroforestry: A sustainable and regenerative farming method that combines different trees with crops on the same plot of land, benefitting both communities and the environment. This nature-inspired approach enriches the soil, holds water in the ground, captures CO2, boosts biodiversity AND is more productive than monoculture!

This project will establish community-led regenerative farms based on the principles of syntropic agroforestry. Key practices include:

• Full soil coverage
• Diverse planting of fruits, crops, spices and native trees
• Stratification by plant lifecycle, sunlight needs and growth height
• Active ecosystem management to promote natural forest succession.

The goal: to grow healthy food forests – resilient, diverse, and productive ecosystems that provide food security, enhance biodiversity, and increase carbon sequestration for climate change mitigation. Furthermore, to create sustainable economic opportunities, we will also provide equipment for the processing and packaging of non-timber forest products derived from native trees.

A unique aspect of our project is the intentional cultivation of native tree species that, until now, have only grown in the wild. Therefore, we’ve already identified several species with high ecological and economic value, such as Anisophyllea boehmi, Allanblackia stuhlmannii and Afrocarpus usambarensis.