Reviving the Earth: How Land Restoration Powers Climate Action and boost L ivelihoods in Africa

By Caroline Katana

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

“I am leading the way by encouraging farmers to grow trees to restore our degraded lands and improve livelihoods for our families. We have been heavily impacted by climate change, from floods to prolonged droughts.”

These are the words of Paul Muteti, a 56-year-old father of three and smallholder farmer from Mwabandari village in Kwale County.

Paul is one of over 18,000 farmers in Kwale County who have benefited from the Global EverGreening Alliance’s Restore Africa — the world’s largest community-led nature-based land restoration, livelihood improvement, and carbon removal programme.

He has received training on proper agricultural land management practices, along with over 90 assorted tree seedlings, which he has planted on his farm.

“Under this programme, I have realised that we don’t need large tracts of land to grow trees. As you can see, I don’t have much land — just under two acres — but trees surround most sections. 

I have one section with woodlots and another where I have planted trees along the boundary to allow space for food crops,” he shares.

Paul shares that he voluntarily joined Restore Africa because he was impressed by the community sensitisation sessions and the farmer recruitment process.

“One thing that motivated me to join the project is that while we wait for the trees to mature — to either harvest fruits or in the long-term benefit from carbon credits — the project has already introduced value chains that improve our incomes.”

In Kwale County, the programme is promoting fast-maturing crops, such as green grams, which mature in just two months. Other value chains include local poultry and citrus fruits.

Paul notes, “We can easily sell these crops at the market and earn a living, which also helps us support our children’s education by paying school fees without struggle.”

Beyond financial gains, he is optimistic that the programme will help combat climate change, which has led to unpredictable weather patterns resulting in floods and prolonged droughts.

Unlike other carbon programmes, Restore Africa is a unique, farmer-led initiative that empowers communities to pursue sustainable development.

Importance of carbon credits

Incentivises emission reductions: it encourages businesses and governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by giving financial value to reductions.

Promotes green investment: generates funding for renewable energy, reforestation and other sustainable projects.

Market – based flexibility: create room for companies to meet climate goals cost-effectively by buying credits if internal reductions are too expensive.

Global cooperation: facilitates international efforts to combat climate change by enabling trading between countries.

Raise environmental awareness: encourages companies and consumers to think about their carbon footprint and take responsibility.

Perkins Omondi, carbon expert for Restore Africa Programme at World Vision Kenya, revealed that the programme employed a free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) approach, allowing farmers to make informed choices about their participation.

He added that the programme did not interfere with land ownership for farmers, as they were free to decide how to use it.

Legal framework to govern carbon credits

Kenya has established a comprehensive legal framework to govern carbon credits and carbon trading aiming to align with international climate commitments and ensures equitable benefit-sharing among stakeholders.

The key legislative instruments include

Climate Change Act, 2016 (amended in 2023), Carbon Markets Regulations, 2024, Carbon Credit Trading and Benefits Sharing Bill, 2023 (proposed).

Befronia Kingethu, a crop farmer from Kikoneni in Lunga Lunga sub-county, echoes Paul’s sentiments. She notes that the restoration efforts are paving the way for sustainable climate-resilient agricultural practices, and a more prosperous future for the community.

“I am grateful that we’ve been given both fruit and indigenous trees. These would otherwise be very expensive to buy,” she says.

By integrating trees into agricultural landscapes, farmers benefit from improved soil fertility, increased water retention, and enhanced food production. Restore Africa also promotes proven, scalable restoration practices that are low-cost, adaptable, and easy to adopt.

Elizabeth Nyagoha, natural resources management coordinator for Restore Africa Programme at World Vision Kenya, notes that the programme has sensitised farmers on various components, including landscape restoration through agroforestry and farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR) and livelihood enhancement.

“This technique involves protecting and nurturing the regrowth of trees and shrubs from existing root systems or seeds in the soil, it’s cost-effective, sustainable and most importantly community –driven,” she said Ms.

World Vision Kenya leads a consortium of five organisations — CIFOR-ICRAF, Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International, Self Help Africa, Justdiggit, and Green Belt Movement — in implementing the Global EverGreening Alliance’s Restore Africa Programme, a large-scale, farmer-led land restoration initiative.

The programme aims to increase the resilience and productivity of socio-ecological systems by restoring 250,000 hectares of degraded land across five counties: Elgeyo Marakwet, Kilifi, Kwale, Migori, and Narok.

It also seeks to grow 12 million trees and improve the livelihoods of 250,000 smallholder farmers and pastoralists — including men, women, and youth.

Restore Africa project, which is implemented in Kenya, Malawi and Uganda, is also set to benefit farmers in Ethiopia, Zambia and Tanzania.

In Uganda, farmers are trained on FMNR, agroforestry practices, climate-smart agriculture, savings and financial inclusion, marketing access and value chains and land restoration targets whereby the programme aims to restore 560,000 hectares of degraded land and support 352,500 smallholder farmers across 36 districts, including regions like Southwestern Uganda, Karamoja and Mount Elgon.

The primary objectives of the Restore Africa programme in Malawi is to restore approximately 350,000 hectares of degraded land, enhance livelihoods, food security and climate resilience for an estimated 380,000 households and sequester around 15.5 million tonnes of C02 equivalent over a 30-year period through nature-based solutions.

A central strategy employed is FMNR which involves nurturing and managing regrowth from existing tree stumps and roots to restore vegetation cover.