Tree Planting
BRIEF SUMMARY
Small Farmers are key!
Africa faces an ominous wood supply crisis, with no end in sight. Africa is already the world’s largest wood consumer, and demand will double in the next two decades. Traditional plantation forestry will struggle due to limited availability of large-scale land, plus high costs and risks. Industrial wood imports will boom. Wood prices will skyrocket. And vast numbers of indigenous trees will be lost. This is an environmental crisis but a big business opportunity.
By incorporating small scall farmers in the community our out-grower model can plant trees for far less than big plantations, yielding a very positive impact on long-term forestry. We are confident smallholder farmers are Africa’s only sustainable forestry solution, and that’s why we have uniquely positioned ourselves to unlock this opportunity.
We have a large variety of trees and plants for different uses including medicinal, fruit, fodder, building, firewood, shade, and ornamental. We focus on keeping stocks of indigenous trees which are difficult to find. We have well trained staff who take great care in ensuring seedlings are of good quality. They are ready to give you instructions in the best methods of planting and caring for your trees for optimal growth and productivity. Prices are kept low by using local resources.
Key Benefits
• Sustainable source of timber for building houses and furniture by planting quick growing exotic trees
• Conservation of existing indigenous trees by decreasing the demand for wood from natural forests
• Restoration of land value by planting nitrogen-fixing trees
• Reduces deforestation by increasing forest cover.
• Income generation for participating households.
Importance:
One World Network tree planting project aims to provides a long-term solution to fighting deforestation in Africa by reducing the demand for wood, causing the destruction of indigenous forests.
The project aims to plant thousands of quick-growing exotic trees at household level and in community woodlots, and these provide a sustainable source of firewood and timber for local people.
Quick-growing exotic trees provide an immediate benefit to the community who use the trees like a crop: coppicing the tree (cutting off the branches for firewood without felling the whole tree), which then grows back quickly to provide more wood year on year. This alleviates the significant burden on Malawi’s indigenous forests, and changes the way people in Malawi think about their natural resources. Where appropriate, RIPPLE Africa also plants indigenous hardwood trees in areas where deforestation is particularly bad.
Deforestation is one of the greatest issues facing Africa today. The effects of deforestation are evident: less rain, hotter climates, soil erosion, and drought brings famine, poverty, and starvation.
Tree planting project is not only about planting trees, it is also helping to halt the demand on existing indigenous forests, and to change the way people think about their natural environment and the destructive and unsustainable actions which are causing deforestation. By involving individuals, community groups, local schools, and encouraging tree planting at household level, One World Network aims not only to conduct tree planting in Africa, but to slowly change the philosophy in which people use their natural resources, sustainably.
For this project we typically grow carefully selected tree spacies and fruits with various advantages.
Fruit Trees:
Mango (local and grafted) Mangifera Indica – Improved Varieties.
Rough Lemon Citrus Limon
Papaya; Paw Paw Carica Papaya
Common Guava Psidium Guajava
Tamarind Tamarindus Indica
Passion Fruit (yellow) Passiflora Edulis
Date Palm Phoenix Dactylifera
Wild Custard Apple Annona Senegalensis
Soursop Annona Muricata
Java Plum; Jambolana Syzygium Cuminii
Forest / Timber Trees
Whistling Pine ; She-Oak Casuarina Equisetifolia
Silky Oak Grevillea Robusta
Eucalyptus, Blue Gum Eucalyptus spp.
Wild African Olive Olea Africana
Indian Ash Acrocarpus Fraxihifolius
Yellow Wood; Poclo Podocarpus Henkelii
Multi-Purpose
Leuceana Leuceana Leucocephala
White-Thorn Acacia Acacia Seyal
Mexican Lilac; Mother of Cacao; “Quick Stick” Glericidia Sepium
Egyptian Rattle Pod Sesbania Sesban
Moringa; Drumstick Tree Moringa Oleifera
Other
Siamese Senna; Yellow Cassia Senna Siamea
Terminalia Brownii
Nile Tulip Tree Markhamia Lutea
Madacascar Terminalia (Umbrella Tree) Terminalia
Physic nut Jatropha Curcas
Flamboyant Delonix Regia
Nandi Flame Tree Spathodea Campanulata
Jacaranda Jacaranda Mimosifolira
Albizia Cariaria Albizia Saman
China berry; Persian Lilac Melia Azaclarach
Diamond-Leaved Euclea Euclea Divinorum
Special Variety
Senna Siamea (or Cassia) trees, which grow quickly enough to be coppiced after five years for fuelwood and also improve the soil as they are nitrogen-fixing.
Moringa Tree-
Macademia-
Siala
Kay Apples/Kayaba
Indegineous Trees
The fruit trees we grow are guava and pawpaw (papaya), which are grown from seed and are very quick and easy to grow and bear good quality fruit.We also grow improved varieties of certain fruits for example citrus, mango and avocado trees.
What We Have Achieved
How We Work
One World Network runs its tree planting project at household level as well as through community and schools partnerships.
• At household level, we provide tubes and seeds, together with training and monitoring, so that householders can grow 25 quick-growing Cassia trees and 10 fruit trees per household.
• At community level, we plan to work with schools, individual farmers and community groups who each look after a tree nursery of around 1,000 to 5,000 trees. One World Coordinators will provide the seeds, equipment, training, and monitoring. In return, the groups and individuals wi be responsible for growing, watering, planting, and looking after the trees once they are planted.
The Project’s Future
We want to link the tree planting project with the use of fuel-efficient cookstove – enabling households using the stove to plant quick growing trees, which can then be coppiced for firewood, saving time and protecting the forests. With this we are trying to reduce deforestation.