By Peter Mutai
NAIROBI, June 4 (Xinhua) -- The practice of incorporating trees into agricultural landscape is fast becoming increasingly important throughout the world.
In Africa, Kenya is one of the countries that have already developed a policy under the ministry of agriculture that requires all crop farmers to set aside 10 percent of their land under tree cover.
Research has also shown that the nitrogen fixing faidherbia albida and several other tree species are doubling unfertilized crop lands and is already improving maize and millet yield in most countries in West and the southern Africa.
Trees can provide many livelihood benefits to smallholder farmers and other community members, including a diversified income, resilient to risk, nutritious foods, medicines, green fertilizers, timber, fuel wood, oil, charcoal and fodder.
The problem in this industry is how to attract capital to help make a difference and hence make the industry appear attractive like all other sectors. "There is need for real increment of financial investment in forestry by the private sector to help reverse the ecosystem degradation," Manager of Program on Forestry at the World Bank Peter Dewees says.
He suggests to governments to allow bankers and other entrepreneurs to enter into forestry investment by investing towards the improvement of the depredated landscapes.
Dewees observes that such kind of investment is the only way that rural incomes can be improved instead of ever telling local communities to plant trees in their farms.
"Africa's ecosystem has been subjected to rapid degradation yet there is serious initiative towards restoring them," Rwandan Minister for Natural Resources Stanslus Kamanzi says.
Kamanzi was speaking at the just concluded investment forum whose theme was mobilizing private investment in trees and landscape restoration in Africa ahead of World Environment Day which is under the theme of "Forest: Nature for Your Service."
He notes that all the governments in Africa need to open up and welcome investors to invest in forestry, saying that his government has already rolled out pilot projects on landscape restoration and will be replicated in all parts of the country.
Dewess warns that unsustainable farming practices that degrade soil fertility will depress the yields and keep people further in natural forests.
Against a backdrop of volatile food prices and increasing climate variability, many people are paying attention to conservation of environment and agriculture development.
"Allowing investment is the sure way to scaling up initiatives that link agricultural development, ecosystem conservation and land management," says Sara Scherr, president of Eco-Agriculture Partners.
She notes that the investors have the potential of providing technologies in agroforestry conservation agriculture and water shade conservation.
"In the process, the investors need to apply relevant mechanisms by incorporating smallholder farmers and paying them fees for protecting the trees," Scherr adds.
According to Director General of the World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF) Dennis Garrity, there exist enormous opportunity in forestry development in Africa.
He says farmers in western and central Kenya are already growing more than 10 species of trees that includes fruits, fertilizer boosting trees and fodder for livestock adding that 500, 000 farmers in the country are planting leguminous trees.
"Agroforestry has picked up very well where it is creating jobs and also improving the living standards of the peasant farmers," adds Garrity.
In the past many years farmers have been looking for the better ways to help improve their land and in the end improve their crop production.
Stewart Maginnis, head of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) forest conservation Program, notes that the changing global markets and prices for commodities are increasing investments in farmland and tree based land use systems viable and attractive.
He notes that with the carbon payments availability, public and private funds could help transform rural landscapes and reduce poverty levels that are due to degraded lands.
"Experience shows that growth in agriculture depends mainly on private investment. Given that funding for agriculture related businesses outstrips any other investment in Africa, there is need to tap some of this funding into forestry to help increase tree cover and restoration of ecosystem in rural areas," says Scherr.
According to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), while the global forest cover is still declining every year, the number of trees on farms is increasing at an alarming rate.
It shows that 46 percent of all agricultural land globally has 10 percent of tree cover and the number is increasing.
These tress and several others makes tree based technologies attractive business proposition and showing that returns over the long term will only be possible if the investor's assets deliver a balance of social, ecological and economic benefits.
