Many African governments have set ambitious goals to plant trees as a way to combat climate change, restore degraded landscapes and improve livelihoods. The Kenyan government has pledged to plant 15 billion trees by 2032 to increase forest cover in the country to 30%. It has also urged every Kenyan to plant at least 50 trees in cities, degraded rural areas, and on farms.
Including trees in smallholder farming systems is particularly important, given the central role of farming in Kenya’s economy and small farms’ vulnerability to climate change. One promising approach is agroforestry, a farming approach where trees, shrubs and crops are planted together to enhance soil fertility, boost biodiversity and improve farmer livelihoods. For example, in Kenya, smallholder farmers often grow maize and beans alongside fruit trees such as mango and avocado. Trees also provide fodder for animals and fix nitrogen in the soil as a nutrient for plants.
