We’re planting food forests in Senegal

Introduction

Located in West Africa, Senegal is home to an abundance of unique animal species and habitats. The country is home to four major ecosystems; forest, savanna grassland, freshwater, and marine and coastal. However, for decades Senegal has been battling desertification, growing poverty and the impact of climate change. The country’s lush forests in particular have been hard hit, losing an area the size of Malta (40,000 ha) annually to agriculture, firewood, and building materials.

The Mission

Grassroots organizations are transforming desert landscapes into lush forest gardens. In our latest mission we partnered with Trees for the Future in Senegal who are planting a diversity of native trees, shrubs, vegetables and plants.

This is done so that the natural biodiversity can be restored, turning dry landscapes into an oasis of fertile land that can support thousands of small family farms. Thanks to your contribution, we were able to plant 40,000 trees to help transform this hard hit area of West Africa.

Mission Video

Impact Update - Year one

Debrief

Our Partner

Fatoumata Diédhiou

Trees for the Future

We have partnered with Fatoumata Diédhiou, regional coordinator for Trees for the Future (TREES) in Fatick, Senegal to support the important work of this incredible organization. Founded in 1989 by Dave and Grace Deppner, TREES now works in nine countries and has planted over 100 million trees. By 2030 they hope to plant one billion trees that support millions of local communities. The project also provides hands-on agroforestry training and resources to local farming communities to break the cycle of generational poverty and help them regain their agency. Sustainable farming practices can increase the average income by 400%. TREES is part of Africa’s Great Green Wall Initiative which aims to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land across north Africa.

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