Agroforestry and Carbon Trading in Mozambique

 Agroforestry and Carbon Trading in Mozambique

Problem:
In rural Mozambique, farmers face extreme climate problems like drought and floods. Most of them (about 98.7%) are smallholder farmers using traditional methods like shifting cultivation, which harms the land and keeps them poor.



Solution:
FAO started a long-term project (17–20 years) to promote agroforestry—growing trees along with crops—to improve the environment and farmers’ lives. The project is supported by the European Union, and private companies like Acorn and Plan Vivo help through carbon trading.

What’s New or Innovative:

  • Farmers plant trees and take care of the land, which helps absorb carbon from the air.

  • This carbon absorption earns Carbon Removal Units (CRUs) that can be sold for money.

  • Digital tools like mobile phones and e-vouchers help farmers register, receive payments, and get inputs.

  • Farmer Field Schools (FFS) train them in agroforestry and sustainable practices.

  • The income from selling CRUs is expected to be shared with farmers (80% of it).



Results So Far:

  • 22,000 farmers trained in 700 Farmer Field Schools

  • 120,000 trees already planted for training

  • 5,000 farmers will join the carbon trading pilot

  • Projected planting of 1.7 million trees over 5,000 hectares

  • Farmers will get regular payments starting in the third year

  • Farming is becoming more climate-resilient, eco-friendly, and profitable (household income may increase by 20%)



Scaling Up:
The model is already being used in another FAO project. If more funding comes, it could reach 17,000 more farmers. The main challenges are keeping carbon records accurate and supporting farmers in the long run.

Source- FAO The State of the World’s Forests report 2024.

-Krushna

Comments

Post a Comment