GPI 2050, Kenya

The Green Planet Initiative 2050 is an ambitious initiative aiming to regreen the African countryside using Nature Based Solutions. In partnership with GPI 2050, we will develop a Model Farm and Model School to implement regenerative agroforestry in Soy, Western Kenya. The activities will focus on capacity building with farmers in order to regreen the landscape, improve farmer livelihoods and resilience to climate change.

This project is open to financing

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By building the capacity of communities to grow resilient and productive regenerative agroforestry systems, their food security and livelihoods will be positively impacted. Implementing regenerative practices will regenerate degraded land, revive soil life, improve water retention and foster local biodiversity. 

Combatting deforestation

Kenya’s ecosystems have suffered from deforestation and degradation over the last few decades. Poverty and reliance on charcoal for cooking has led to wide scale deforestation for charcoal production. Especially on the hilly landscape of Elgeyo-Marakwet county, bare soils pose huge risks for soil erosion and land degradation. In combination with unsustainable farming methods this leads to infertile soils, unproductive agriculture and loss of biodiversity.

Climate change causes extra stress on these fragile ecosystems due to weather patterns becoming erratic, increasing heat and drought stress. This trend of unsustainable exploitation of natural resources and climate change impacts puts marginalised rural communities at risk. To counter the downward spiral of environmental degradation and loss of income for farmers, there is a need for more resilient and diversified food systems which provide firewood on top of food products. 

Risk reduction through regenerative practices

GPI 2050 is a UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration partner and aims to restore 50,000 hectares by 2030. The Model Farm and School will showcase a set of practices which can simultaneously regreen the area while supplying farmers with multiple benefits. The project shows there is a viable alternative for degrading and unsustainable practices which exploit natural resources. GPI2050 and reNature will strongly focus on creating community ownership of the project and use a gender sensitive approach. 

We will implement a Model Farm and School for regenerative agroforestry which produces a commodity, firewood and local food crops. This project aims to provide resilient and regenerative livelihoods to local communities, restore tree cover and regenerate soils and biodiversity. It is expected to benefit 500 farmers and 2500 community members.

Keeping the soil covered is paramount to the prevention of further degradation. By applying regenerative practices and restoring tree cover, soil erosion will be limited and soil fertility will be regenerated. Growing firewood trees on-farm will reduce the need for unsustainable firewood harvesting in wild forests. 

Creating a source of local income and food security

The Model Farm and Model School will enable local communities to build their livelihoods around regenerative practices. The project will support the development of sustainable value chains due to including commodities in the farming systems to ensure opportunities for farmers to earn extra income. Regenerating the soil and restoring its fertility will make agriculture become more productive and resilient and benefit local food security. 

GPI2050 has the ambition to scale up the regreening efforts to multiple regions in Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia so this first Model Farm can provide a testing ground for best practices to be used to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of regreening efforts in other regions. Secondly, the project will assist in setting up a value chain for the selected commodities hence driving economic activity in the area. Coordinating a value chain approach centrally will enable farmers to collectively process and market their produce better.

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